Bulgarian authorities have detained Igor Grechushkin, the Russian-Cypriot shipping figure long sought in connection with the 2020 Beirut port explosion. He was arrested last week at Sofia Airport after arriving on a flight from Cyprus, according to Lebanese judicial officials.
Grechushkin was the registered owner of the Rhosus, the Moldovan-flagged vessel that delivered 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to Beirut in 2013. The cargo, abandoned in a warehouse after the vessel was detained, exploded on August 4, 2020, in one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history. The explosion killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, and devastated much of the Lebanese capital.
Interpol issued red notices for Grechushkin and the vessel’s captain shortly after the tragedy, but both evaded arrest for years as Lebanon’s investigation stalled amid political interference. Early efforts to indict senior Lebanese officials collapsed, and the inquiry became a symbol of impunity among the country’s ruling class.
The case regained momentum earlier this year after the election of a new president and prime minister, who vowed to deliver justice for the victims.
Beirut is now preparing extradition paperwork. If Bulgaria refuses to hand him over, Lebanese investigators plan to travel to Sofia to question him directly.
