Overview
- German federal prosecutors accuse Ukrainian national Serhij Kuznietsov of involvement in the September 2022 Nord Stream sabotage and are preparing to seek his extradition from Italy.
- Kuznietsov has been held in Italian pretrial detention since August and began a hunger strike on October 31, which his wife and Ukraine’s ombudsperson describe as leaving him in a critical condition.
- His lawyer says the protest targets what he calls unacceptable detention conditions and the prospect of transfer to Germany.
- Ukrainian ombudsperson Dmytro Lubinets has formally urged Italy and EU figures, including European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno, to ensure medical care and treatment consistent with human-rights obligations.
- A separate Ukrainian suspect held in Poland has had extradition temporarily halted by a Warsaw court, while the blasts remain officially unresolved despite investigators treating the incident as deliberate sabotage.