Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov denied charges related to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions during a court hearing in Bologna on Friday and refused consent for extradition to Germany.

“He was in Ukraine at the time of the blasts,” according to Italian news agency ANSA, which reported that Kuznetsov made the statement while displaying a three-finger trident gesture representing Ukrainian national identity.

The 49-year-old suspect was arrested on the evening of 21 August at a farm holiday resort in San Clemente, near Rimini, on a European arrest warrant issued by German federal authorities. He faces charges including joint commission of an explosion using explosives, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings.

Italian police detained Kuznetsov while he was vacationing with his family. German investigators suspect he belonged to a group that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 but was not among the divers who planted the explosives.

The Bologna court hearing was adjourned until early afternoon after Kuznetsov requested a Ukrainian or Russian interpreter. “The arrested man said he wasn’t fluent in English and requested a Ukrainian or Russian translator,” ANSA reported.

Deputy Prosecutor Licia Scagliarini granted German judicial authorities’ request for the suspect’s surrender, though Kuznetsov told the court he does not consent to being handed over to Germany.

According to German prosecutors, Kuznetsov served a coordinating function aboard the sailing yacht “Andromeda” during the operation. The yacht was allegedly rented through intermediaries from a German company using forged documents.

German media previously identified Kuznetsov as a former Security Service of Ukraine employee and retired captain in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This marks the second arrest warrant in the case after Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z. managed to leave Poland for Ukraine before detention in July.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially approved the pipeline operation but later ordered its cancellation after Dutch military intelligence informed the CIA, which then alerted Germany. According to WSJ sources, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi ignored Zelenskyy’s order to halt the operation.

German investigators have been examining the explosions since 2022, initially suspecting Russian involvement before tracing evidence to Ukraine. Federal Police and Federal Prosecutor investigators eventually traced the sailing yacht and uncovered connections to Ukrainian operatives.

Security circles indicate uncertainty regarding when Kuznetsov will be extradited to Germany, with the validation of his arrest and pre-trial detention request under discussion in Bologna.

Italian police have arrested Ukrainian citizen Serhij K. on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, according to reports by Spiegel and Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

The detention occurred on the evening of 20 August in Italy’s Rimini province based on a European arrest warrant, Spiegel reported. The suspect allegedly belonged to a group that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022.

According to German investigators, Serhij K. was aboard the sailing yacht “Andromeda” during the operation but was not among the divers who planted the explosives. Instead, prosecutors believe he served a coordinating function in what they describe as the pipeline attacks carried out by a Ukrainian commando unit.

The operation involved bringing divers close to the pipelines via a specially rented sailing yacht, then deploying them to attach explosives to the seabed infrastructure, Spiegel reports. The yacht was reportedly rented through intermediaries from a German company using forged documents.

Serhij K. faces charges including joint commission of an explosion using explosives, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings. German authorities plan to request his extradition from Italy.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that several high-ranking Ukrainian military officials and businessmen planned the pipeline operation using an ordinary pleasure yacht and open sea charts. According to the newspaper’s sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially approved the plan but later ordered its cancellation after Dutch military intelligence MIVD learned of the operation and informed the CIA, which then alerted Germany.

The Journal reported that CIA officials warned Zelenskyy’s office to halt the operation, prompting Zelenskyy to order General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi to stop it. However, according to WSJ sources, Zaluzhnyi ignored the order.

This marks the second arrest warrant in the case. Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General previously issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z., who was to be detained in Poland where he resided but managed to leave for Ukraine before arrest.

German media reported that Volodymyr Z. crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in early July in a vehicle with diplomatic plates. Some Polish officials allegedly responded to accusations they warned the suspect by stating: “Why should we arrest him? He’s a hero to us!”

Poland’s border service denied accusations that they allowed the suspect to enter Ukraine in a diplomatic vehicle despite having orders to detain him, emphasizing they had neither legal grounds nor appropriate information for Volodymyr Z.’s arrest.

German investigators suspect two other Ukrainian citizens in the case, including a woman. The Federal Prosecutor General has been investigating the explosions since 2022 on suspicion of anti-constitutional sabotage and causing an explosive detonation.

When Spiegel spoke with individuals with detailed knowledge of the events in Ukraine in 2024, sources indicated the commando unit had no intention of committing a crime. For the Ukrainian operatives, the pipeline destruction represented an attack on a legitimate military target in the war between Ukraine and Russia, with gas delivery profits significantly contributing to financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Spiegel’s investigation also found indications that the Ukrainian armed forces had sanctioned the operation.

Initially, politicians and media assumed Russian perpetrators were behind the explosions. German Federal Police and Federal Prosecutor investigators eventually traced the sailing yacht and uncovered connections to Ukraine.

Security circles indicate it remains unclear when Serhij K. will be extradited to Germany. The suspect was not available for immediate comment, and information about legal representation was not initially available.

The U.S. has "reviewed" the components it is supplying Ukraine, but did not halt assistance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on July 4.

"The United States has not stopped supplying weapons and supporting Ukraine, it has reviewed the decision to supply specific components... (this is) significant but very different from the total American disengagement that has been reported," Meloni said, speaking at a forum.

U.S. President Donald Trump on July 3 denied that Washington has paused supplying weapons to Kyiv amid media reports of a halt in shipments.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed on July 2 that some military assistance to Ukraine has been halted as the U.S. Defense Department conducts a review of foreign aid deliveries.

"I hope for positive developments on the issue," Meloni said, adding that she has spoken to Trump regarding Ukraine.

The weapons reportedly held back include two dozen Patriot air defense missiles, over two dozen Stinger air-defense systems, precision artillery rounds, Hellfire missiles, drones, and more than 90 AIM air-to-air missiles launched from F-16 fighter jets.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on July 2 that he understands the White House's need to safeguard its own defense capabilities, but underscored that Ukraine urgently requires sustained support.

"I totally understand that the U.S. always has to make sure its interests are covered... When it comes to Ukraine, in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get," Rutte said.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers voiced their opposition to the decision to halt military aid shipments to Ukraine on July 2.

"We must build up our own Defense Industrial Base here in the U.S. while simultaneously providing the needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from brutal invading dictators. To not do both is unacceptable," Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the military aid pause as "fallacious and maybe even disingenuous."

Ukraine war latest: Russia pounds Kyiv with record overnight drone, missile attack, 1 dead, 26 injured

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Italy has pledged 1.5 million euros (approximately $1.6 million) to support humanitarian demining efforts in Ukraine, deepening its partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ukrainian government.

The agreement was formalized during a high-level ceremony in Kyiv on June 23 attended by Italian Ambassador Carlo Formosa, UN Assistant Secretary-General and new UNDP Administrator Haoliang Xu, Jaco Cilliers, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Ukraine, and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.

"Demining is not just a technical operation; it is a deeply humanitarian act that combines cooperation and innovation to restore hope in Ukraine," Ambassador Formosa said. "This project is not only a response to the emergency — it’s a step toward recovery. It’s about returning land to farmers, playgrounds to children, and safe roads to families."

The funding will support UNDP’s mine action program, which focuses on clearing land contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war, ensuring the safe return of land to Ukrainian communities.

The initiative comes as Ukraine continues to grapple with one of the world’s largest demining challenges. According to the State Emergency Service, the total area of potentially mined land has been reduced by over 20% since late 2022. However, approximately 137,000 square kilometers (52,900 square miles) — much of it farmland — remain contaminated. Demining operations are carried out by the emergency service personnel, National Police, Ministry of Defense, and non-governmental organizations.

Currently, 112 certified demining operators, including eight international groups, are active in Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported on June 24. Their combined capacity includes more than 9,000 personnel, 278 specialized vehicles, and over 13,000 metal detectors.

While significant progress has been made, Ukrainian officials stress that continued international support and funding are critical to accelerating clearance efforts.

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