Overview

• Serhii Kuznietsov, arrested in late August, denies any role in the 2022 pipeline sabotage and says he was in Ukraine at the time.
• The Court of Appeal in Bologna approved Germany’s request, moving the case under the European Arrest Warrant mechanism.
• German prosecutors cite evidence that Kuznietsov used false identity documents to rent a yacht that departed from Rostock and is linked to the operation.
• Germany’s inquiry has identified a Ukrainian cell of five men and one woman as suspected perpetrators, while Sweden and Denmark closed their probes in 2024.
• Defense lawyer Nicola Canestrini argues Kuznietsov was barred from personally attending hearings and was denied full access to the German case file.