The Ukrainian Embassy in Tbilisi issued a statement on Tuesday calling for a “non-politicized” approach to the recent case involving the alleged transportation of explosives from Ukraine to Russia via Georgia, as reported by the Georgian State Security Service on Monday.
According to the Georgian agency, C-4 military-grade plastic explosive weighing a total of 14 kilograms was seized. The explosives were reportedly transported from the Ukrainian city of Odesa, passing through Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey before arriving in Georgia on January 19.
Andrey Sharashidze, a Ukrainian citizen of Georgian origin and former candidate for the Deputy of the Kyiv district of Odesa from the Servant of the People party, was named as the alleged organizer of the scheme.
The SSS claimed that seven Georgian citizens, three Ukrainian nationals, and two Armenian citizens were involved in the smuggling and transportation of the explosives on Georgian territory. It also suggested that the engagement of Georgian citizens and the use of the country’s territory could have been intended to shift blame for potential terrorist acts, whether within Georgia or abroad, onto Tbilisi.
The Embassy of Ukraine emphasized its commitment to verifying the details presented by Tbilisi regarding any involvement of Ukrainian nationals in alleged illicit activities. It expressed willingness to engage “constructively” with Georgian law enforcement and relevant authorities to “thoroughly investigate” the incident and identify the “true perpetrators”.
Relations between Ukraine and Georgia have been strained, notably highlighted by the recall of the Ukrainian ambassador from Georgia by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 1, 2022. This action, as cited, was taken due to Georgia’s stance on refraining from imposing sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine and perceived hindrance of volunteer efforts to support Ukraine during the conflict.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Georgia, stated that the facts revealed by the State Security Service “confirm what, in principle, high-ranking officials of the Ukrainian government openly said, that they wanted and probably still want to see a second front in our country.”
Kobakhidze emphasized, “there is nothing to do with politicization; they were threatening our state interests. What does politicization have to do with it? The country’s security is also a political issue, but politicization has nothing to do with it. If Ukraine had an ambassador in Georgia, they probably would not have made such a statement.”
Officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party also commended the agency for its work in “preventing serious threats” to the country, suggesting that a potential terrorist act in Russia could be used by the Kremlin for repeated aggression against Georgia.
