Georgia’s security service seizes explosives allegedly en route from Ukraine to Russia

Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) says it has seized several explosive devices that were set to be transported into Russian territory, reports the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Channel (1TV).

According to the SSSG’s statement, two electric car batteries were used as containers for six explosive devices:

It has been determined that the explosive devices contain military-grade C-4 plastic explosives, which can be activated with an electric detonator and a special timer. The total weight of the explosives is 14 kilograms [31 pounds]. There were also six detonators and six security keys in the containers. Electronic timers were installed in each of the six separate explosive devices, with the activation times already set.

The SSSG said the explosives were brought into Georgia on January 19 from Odesa, Ukraine, via Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, in a minivan belonging to a Ukrainian citizen. The vehicle entered Georgia through the Sarpi checkpoint on the border with Turkey.

According to the intelligence agency, unnamed individuals reportedly left one of the containers with three explosive devices at “a specific address in Tbilisi” and then tried to take the other across the border into Russia. Counterterrorism personnel stopped the vehicle at the checkpoint and seized the explosives, which were allegedly destined for the Russian city of Voronezh.

The Georgian State Security Service said that the operation was organized by Andrey Sharashidze, a Ukrainian citizen and former Servant of the People candidate who ran in the local elections in Odesa in 2020. Reportedly, the operation involved seven people from Georgia, three from Ukraine, and two from Armenia.

The SSSG’s counterterrorism unit has opened an investigation into the incident under the Georgian Criminal Code article on the possession of explosives and explosive devices.

Georgian intelligence also released a video purportedly showing the seized explosives.

The Odesa branch of Ukraine’s Security Service said they have no information about the incident and are only aware of it from media reports, the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske reported. Russian authorities have not commented on the Georgian State Security Service’s statement.