A Ukrainian ex-military officer jailed in Italy is on the 10th day of a hunger strike, accusing authorities of mistreating him to extract a confession over Russia's Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in 2022, according to the BBC. Serhii Kuznetsov is now awaiting his final appeal hearing on extradition to Germany, expected within the next couple of weeks.

Hunger strike in high-security Italian jail

Serhii Kuznetsov, detained in August on a German arrest warrant, is fighting extradition from Italy over allegations of involvement in the undersea explosions that hit the Nord Stream pipelines near Bornholm. 

In a handwritten letter shown to the BBC by his lawyer, Kuznetsov described being held in a high-security facility alongside suspected members of ISIS. He said he's being treated as “criminal no.1” and accused Italian authorities of using coercive pressure to force a confession.

“The Italians have been cynically ignoring my dietary habits for the past two months,” he wrote, referring to his vegetarianism. “They think that these restrictions can affect my position, and make me confess my guilt. But such efforts are futile.”

Kuznetsov also described being forced to exercise in isolation, under armed guard, and subjected to what he called “maximum restrictions.”

His lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, said the prison refused food delivered by Kuznetsov's relatives.

“He told me he had lost 9 kg when I said that his clothes were hanging loosely,” the lawyer told the BBC. 

Extradition approved in Italy, blocked in Poland

Germany activated arrest warrants this summer for two Ukrainian men it suspects of blowing up the pipelines: Kuznetsov and Volodymyr Zhuravliov, who was detained in Poland. German prosecutors cited “anti-constitutional sabotage” as the basis for the extradition requests.

A judge in Warsaw blocked Zhuravlyov’s extradition, ruling that if Ukrainians carried out the sabotage, it could be interpreted as legitimate self-defense in the context of Russia's “bloody, genocidal war.” In contrast, a court in Bologna approved Kuznetsov’s extradition last month in a closed hearing. He is currently appealing that decision for a second time.

Ukrainian government silent, ombudsman steps in

Kuznetsov’s lawyer also accused the Ukrainian government of abandoning his client, despite his military background. 

On 9 November, Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said an adviser was reviewing the case and would look into Kuznetsov’s prison conditions.

An appeals court in the Italian city of Bologna on 27 October confirmed the decision to extradite Ukrainian national Serhiy Kuznetsov to Germany, where he is suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, world news agencies report.

The 49-year-old Ukrainian was arrested in August near the Italian city of Rimini based on a European arrest warrant. German prosecutors believe he was part of a group that placed explosive devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.

The Bologna court's initial extradition ruling came on 16 September, but Italy's Court of Cassation overturned that decision on 15 October. At the time, the cassation court supported the defense's argument that there was "an incorrect legal qualification of the facts underlying the European arrest warrant," defense attorney Nicola Canestrini stated.

The 27 October ruling clears the way for German prosecutors to directly question the suspect in connection with the sabotage that severed a key link for Russian gas supplies to Europe. Canestrini announced after the Bologna court's decision that he would appeal to the Court of Cassation in Rome.

Under German personal data protection laws, the man is identified only as Serhiy K. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure.

The explosive device detonated on 26 September 2022. The blasts caused severe damage to both pipelines — three of the four strings were destroyed. The pipeline, built to deliver Russian gas to Western Europe, cannot be restored.

Investigations by Sweden, Denmark, and Germany showed the pipelines were blown up, but those responsible have yet to be identified. Russia has not participated in the investigation. Moscow blamed the United States and its allies for what happened. They deny involvement.

Numerous Western media outlets have written that the explosions were organized by people connected to Ukrainian intelligence services. Kyiv denies accusations of organizing the sabotage.

German prosecutors emphasized this was a serious attack on Germany's energy infrastructure — regardless of the political motives of those who carried out the explosion.

The Nord Stream pipelines came under EU sanctions this year, as European Union countries recognized them as a potential tool for Moscow's pressure on Europe.