The appeals court on Monday ordered the extradition of a Russian national to Russia to face trial over alleged fraud involving a state funded space programme worth more than €160 million.

The ruling overturns an earlier decision by Paphos district court that had rejected the extradition request.

The court also ordered his detention until he is handed over to Russian authorities.

The case concerns a major Russian space programme funded by the government with 15.15 billion roubles.

The man, who worked for a Russian space company and is believed to have held a senior role in decision making, is accused of helping ensure that a particular company was awarded a 1.32 billion rouble contract without a competitive tender.

About 478 million roubles was allegedly used for the project, while around 840 million roubles, worth about €7.8 million, was allegedly distributed among members of the group and transferred through financial transactions.

The man was arrested in Cyprus in November 2024 under a provisional warrant.

The justice minister authorised extradition proceedings the following month, however Paphos district court rejected the extradition request in November 2025, saying it had not been shown that the Russian arrest warrant was still in force.

The attorney general appealed, arguing that the warrant remained valid, to which the appeals court agreed, finding no legal basis for concluding that the warrant had expired.

The judges said the evidence had not been properly considered by the lower court and was important to the case.

The man had also challenged the extradition request, arguing that the warrant did not contain a criminal case number and that no official copy had been provided.

The court has rejected those arguments, finding that the missing case number does not affect the validity of the warrant.

The man further argued that Russian authorities had withheld important evidence concerning proceedings against alleged accomplices.

The court found no specific risk that his fundamental rights would be violated if he was extradited.