The alleged Nord Stream operations manager handed over to Germany
After more than three months in pre-trial detention, Italy handed over the man suspected of coordinating the Nord Stream attacks in 2022 in the Baltic Sea to Germany. The 49-year-old Ukrainian, Serhiy K., was flown to Karlsruhe and handed over to the German authorities.
He had been held in a high-security prison in Ferrara, where he repeatedly tried to prevent his extradition through legal appeals, and he also went on a hunger strike for a period. However, the Italian Supreme Court issued its final decision last week approving the extradition, allowing the German authorities to complete the process.
According to the German Federal Prosecutor's Office, Serhiy K. was transported by helicopter under strict security measures and will be presented to an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof), where a formal arrest warrant is expected to be issued against him. His trial proceedings will then begin in Germany.
His arrest came unexpectedly in August on the Italian Adriatic coast, where he was spending his summer vacation with his family. Investigations indicate that he had previously traveled to several European countries without any problems, suggesting that he did not expect to be arrested during the holiday.
Serhiy K. faces charges of participating in unconstitutional bombing and sabotage. He is believed to have led a team of seven people who planted explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. Several explosions caused significant damage to the pipelines at a time when Russia had already begun its war against Ukraine. With the exception of Serhiy K., the rest of the suspects remain at large.