Italy’s highest court has refused to extradite a Ukrainian individual to Germany, who was detained in connection with igniting explosions that harmed the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, according to his attorney on Thursday.

The Italian Supreme Court canceled a prior ruling from a Bologna appellate court on Wednesday, which had mandated the extradition of the 49-year-old suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov, to Germany.

The highest Italian court has now ordered another group from the same appellate court to review the case, according to Kuznietsov’s attorney, Nicola Canestrini.

Canestrini mentioned that the reasons behind the Court of Cassation’s ruling have not been submitted yet and are anticipated in the coming weeks.

“In the meantime, I will assess if the conditions are present to ask for my client’s release, as the legal justification for detention is no longer valid,” Canestrini said.

The blasts damaged the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transported Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea until Russia stopped deliveries at the end of August 2022.

They also caused damage to the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was never operational as Germany halted its approval process just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

German authorities launched an inquiry following the explosions, with officials expressing a desire to uncover the events that transpired.

Kuznietsov was arrested under a European arrest warrant on August 21st at a campsite close to the Adriatic city of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his family.

At his initial hearing that confirmed his detention, Kuznietsov denied any connection to the explosions, stating he was in Ukraine serving as a captain in the military during the time of the blasts.

German authorities claim that Kuznietsov planned and executed the explosion of at least four bombs weighing between 14 and 27 kilograms, detonated at a depth of 70-80 meters in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm on 26 September 2022, as stated in the extradition documents.

Polish officials detained a further Ukrainian national last month, who is also believed to have played a role in the underwater detonations.

The Warsaw Regional Court is set to make a decision regarding his extradition on Friday, although the ruling may be subject to appeal.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk mentioned in early October that it was not “in Poland’s interest” to hand over the individual.

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