Nord Stream blast suspect extradited to Germany

Ukrainian national Serhii K., a suspect in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blast, was extradited from Italy to Germany on Thursday, according to local reports.

German news agency dpa reported that the extradition took place following a ruling by an Italian court that cleared his transfer.

Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office said in August that the suspect had been arrested in Italy's Rimini province.

A warrant issued by Germany's Federal Court of Justice alleges that Serhii K. served as a coordinator of a group that placed explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in September 2022, damaging the gas lines linking Russia and Germany.

Following his extradition, the suspect will be brought before a judge of Germany's Federal Court of Justice, the prosecutor's office said.

Another suspect, Volodymyr Z., was arrested in Poland, but a Polish court blocked his extradition to Germany and ordered his immediate release.