The Georgian State Security Service (SSS) on Monday said it had identified Andrey Sharashidze, a Ukrainian citizen of Georgian descent and former candidate for deputy of the Kyiv district of Odessa from the Servant of the People party, as the purported mastermind behind a scheme involving the illegal purchase and storage of explosives. 

The agency claimed it had intercepted a “large quantity” of explosives and special explosive devices believed to have originated from the Ukrainian city of Odessa. The explosives were reportedly intended for transportation to Russia.

According to the SSS, the seizure occurred during a search of a vehicle within Georgia's territory. Counter-Terrorist Centre personnel discovered two electric car batteries repurposed as containers, within which six special explosive devices were concealed. These devices were removed by a demining team for further examination.

The SSS stated that mock-ups were placed in the containers to facilitate undercover investigative activities, with close monitoring by Counter-Terrorist Centre professionals. The primary objective of the operation is to identify the purchasers and accomplices involved in transporting the cargo, as well as to determine the route and intended targets of the explosive devices, SSS said. 

It stressed explosive devices contained military-grade plastic explosive C-4, with a total weight of 14 kilograms. The containers also held six detonators and six special keys, with each explosive device housed in its own box. Electronic timers pre-programmed for activation were also found.

The agency claimed that the devices were expertly crafted and capable of causing significant damage over a wide radius, posing a grave threat to crowded areas and infrastructure and that the explosive devices originated from Odessa, passing through Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey before reaching Georgia on January 19.

SSS asserted that plans for transportation to Russia were altered, resulting in the interception of one container at the Georgian-Russian border, while the other was left in Tbilisi. Seven Georgian citizens, three Ukrainians, and two Armenians were allegedly involved in the importation and movement of the explosive devices within Georgia.