Conditions of detention of Kuznetsov, suspected of blowing up "Nord Stream" pipelines, may constitute inhuman treatment, - his wife

The blowing up of the Northern Streams: how is Kuznetsov being held?

Former Special Forces soldier Serhii Kuznetsov, who is being held in custody in Hamburg, Germany, as part of an investigation into the bombing of the "Nord Stream 2" gas pipeline, is being held in conditions that raise serious concerns about human rights.

According to Censor.NET, this was reported by his wife after a personal meeting with her husband on 14 January 2026.

Details

According to her, Serhii Kuznetsov's rights as a human being and as a foreigner in custody are being systematically violated.

In particular, despite the fact that telephone calls are officially permitted by the court, Serhii Kuznetsov has not had any telephone contact since November 2025. According to his wife, the administration of the detention centre in Hamburg has still not provided the technical means to implement this right.

A separate issue is food. According to the Italian court's decision to transfer Serhii Kuznetsov, he was prescribed a special diet, which is a mandatory condition of his detention. However, according to his wife, the administration of the institution only partially complies with this requirement — during lunch, while breakfast and dinner do not comply with the court decision.

In addition, Serhii Kuznetsov is not given winter shoes, even though they are available and stored in the detention centre's warehouse.

The most worrying aspect is the conditions of detention. According to his wife, Serhii Kuznetsov has been placed in a section for so-called "particularly dangerous" individuals, which leads to extreme isolation and significant restrictions on his rights. In particular, he is only allowed to see his wife once a month, whereas in other sections there is no such isolation or pressure.

In fact, according to his wife, Serhii Kuznetsov spends up to 23 hours a day in complete isolation in a single cell. In her opinion, such conditions may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment and, according to international standards, could potentially be considered a form of torture.

Serhii Kuznetsov's wife has announced her intention to formally appeal to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, as well as to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate General of Ukraine in Hamburg, demanding that human rights be respected, court decisions be enforced, and proper consular protection be provided.

The destruction of the "Nord Stream" pipelines

On September 26, 2022, three explosions occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, causing massive gas leaks.
The governments of the US, the UK, and the EU have declared this to be a deliberate act of sabotage.
In early February 2024, Sweden closed its investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosion due to lack of jurisdiction.
Subsequently, Germany issued arrest warrants for all suspects in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. All of them are citizens of Ukraine.
The Bologna Court of Appeal ruled on the extradition of Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany.
On October 1, the Warsaw District Court decided to remand Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Zh. in custody for seven days. German authorities suspect him of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022.
On October 6, the Warsaw Provincial Court extended by 40 days the arrest of Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Zh.
The Bologna Court of Appeals upheld the decision to extradite to Germany Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov, who is suspected of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022.
Later, the Italian Constitutional Court allowed the extradition of Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany.
On 27 November, Italy extradited Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany.
On 28 November, Kuznetsov was taken into custody in Germany.
According to media reports, Kuznetsov served in the Special Operations Forces.