BRUSSELS 

An Italian appeals court ruled Tuesday that a former Ukrainian army officer accused of being involved in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia with Europe be extradited to Germany, local media reported.

The Bologna Court of Appeal ordered the surrender of Serhii Kuznietsov, who was detained on Aug. 21 near the Adriatic coastal city of Rimini under a European arrest warrant, to German authorities, according to the ANSA news agency.

The decision comes after a hearing on Sept. 9.

Kuznietsov faces charges in connection with the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September 2022.

His lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, said he would appeal to Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation, arguing that his client's "fundamental rights have been violated," citing concerns over a fair trial, detention conditions and functional immunity.

The 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines was an unprecedented attack that caused extensive damage to the infrastructure connecting Russia and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Intelligence reports in March 2023 from the US and Germany suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the sabotage. According to reports, the team consisted of two divers, two assistants, a captain and a medic.

The group allegedly entered Germany using forged travel documents and rented the yacht Andromeda, which investigators believe served as the operational base for the sabotage mission.