Italy's top appeals court has ruled that a Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany should be extradited to Berlin.
There, former Ukrainian military officer Serhiy Kuznetsov will face a charge of anti-constitutional sabotage. He is due to be removed from Italy under German police escort in the next few days.
Prosecutors believe Mr Kuznetsov coordinated and led a group that planted explosives on the pipes deep beneath the Baltic Sea in 2022, though they have not disclosed any evidence.
The case has serious implications for relations between Ukraine and Germany, which is the biggest source of military aid for Kyiv in Europe.
Mr Kuznetsov's lawyer said his client "feels like a scapegoat" and is "very sad" that his government has not spoken out in his defence, or even confirmed that he was a serving soldier at the time of the blasts.
