Nearly Five Years After Catastrophic Explosion, Russian National Tied to Beirut Disaster Finally Apprehended
Beirut, Lebanon – In a major development for the ongoing investigation into the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion, the Russian owner of the ship that brought the ammonium nitrate to Lebanon has been arrested in Bulgaria. The arrest of Igor Grechushkin comes nearly five years after a Lebanese investigative judge issued an international arrest warrant for him and the vessel’s captain.
Lebanese judicial officials confirmed on Monday that Grechushkin, who also holds Cypriot nationality, was arrested last week at Vasil Levski Sofia airport after arriving on a flight from Cyprus. Papers are now being prepared to request his transfer to Lebanon for questioning. Officials stated that if he is not extradited, Lebanese investigators may travel to Bulgaria to question him there.
The tragic explosion on August 4, 2020, killed at least 218 people, wounded over 6,000, and devastated large sections of the capital. The blast was caused by the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse at the port for nearly seven years. The chemical cargo was brought to Beirut in 2013 by the Moldovan-flagged ship Rhosus, which was owned by Grechushkin. The ship was impounded in Beirut due to legal and financial disputes, and the dangerous cargo was offloaded and stored at the port.
The investigation into the disaster has been plagued by political and legal obstacles for years, with no Lebanese official convicted in connection with the incident. Earlier this year, a new Lebanese government, elected on a reformist platform, pledged to complete the probe and hold the perpetrators accountable. The recent arrest of Grechushkin is a significant step forward and a rare moment of progress for the families of the victims who have long sought justice.
