TBILISI, February 5. /TASS/. Georgian intelligence has interdicted a shipment containing explosive substances that was potentially intended for use in staging terrorist attacks, the State Security Service of Georgia reported.

"It was established that explosive devices and substances were taken to Georgia from the Ukrainian city of Odessa on January 19, transiting through Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey via the Sarpi checkpoint in a minivan registered to a Ukrainian citizen. The plan was to take [the explosives] to the city of Voronezh in the Russian Federation via the Dariali checkpoint," the Georgian intelligence agency said in a statement.

According to it, the organizers later tweaked their plans as they decided to send a container with three explosives to Russia and park three more explosives devices in Georgia. The cargo bound for Russia was intercepted by Georgian authorities as it was crossing the border. "The goal behind the use of [Georgia’s] territory with Georgian nationals being involved in the process was to create the perception that Tbilisi could be blamed for both planning and conducting terror attacks in Georgia and outside Georgia," the Georgian security service maintained.

"Seven Georgian, three Ukrainian and two Armenian nationals were involved in the smuggling of explosive devices into Georgia with one of the containers planned to be delivered further to Russia and the other in the country’s capital," the Georgian intelligence agency said in a statement.

Ukrainian national Andrey Sharashidze was found to be the brains behind the operation to transport explosives from Ukraine to Russia through Georgia, the Georgian State Security Service added, citing case files. A Ukrainian national and native of [the Georgian city of] Batumi, Sharashidze was a candidate for the Odessa regional assembly from the Servant of the People party in 2020, it specified.

The explosives weighing a total of 14 kg were to be activated with the help of an electric detonator and a timer. Investigators may add charges of plotting a terror attack. The criminal probe is ongoing.