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Tbilisi awaits information from Kiev on attempted smuggling of explosives to Russia

The explosive devices contained 14 kilograms of weapons-grade plastic explosive C-4

TBILISI, February 5. /TASS/. Georgia’s State Security Service has presented information concerning an attempt to smuggle explosives from Ukraine to Russia via Georgia and is now waiting for a response on this matter from the Ukrainian authorities, Bacha Mgeladze, the director of the security service’s counter-terrorism center has said.

"We have provided the Ukrainian side with information in connection with this specific incident. We have provided them with even more details and we expect them to share relevant information that will benefit the investigation and confirm certain details," Mgeladze said in an interview with Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2.

The state security service said earlier that the Georgian authorities had detained a cargo containing explosives that was transiting the country from Odessa to Voronezh via Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The explosive devices contained 14 kilograms of weapons-grade plastic explosive C-4. They can be set off with an electric fuse and a special timer.

The security service specified that seven citizens of Georgia, three citizens of Ukraine and two citizens of Armenia were involved in bringing the explosives into Georgia, while the transportation of explosives was organized by a citizen of Ukraine, candidate for a seat on the regional legislature of the Odessa Region from the ruling party Servant of the People in 2020 Andrey Sharashidze.