“Theoretically, nothing can be ruled out, but there are completely unresolved details - three states (Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey) were involved in the transit of this explosive substance. These countries possess capable Special Services, especially the Turks and Romanians, who quite possibly had prior knowledge of this information.
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Also, there is another intriguing aspect: the people who figured in this case and directly participated in this event were not arrested. How is it possible not to detain these individuals when it is explicitly stated that they were plotting a terrorist act within your territory and in the neighboring country?” remarked Kakhaber Kemoklidze, former head of the Analytical Department of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), regarding the statement issued by the SSSG on February 5.
According to the Security Service, the Counterterrorism Center neutralized six special explosive devices and seized 14 kilograms of explosives. The SSSG further stated that the cargo originated from the Ukrainian city of Odesa, passing through Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, before entering Georgia on January 19 through the Sarpi checkpoint. It was intended to be transported to the Russian Federation, specifically to the city of Voronezh, via the Dariali checkpoint.
Shota Utiashvili, the former head of the Analytical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, currently a senior fellow at the Georgian Strategy and International Relations Research Foundation (Rondeli Foundation), believes that “this is a premeditated attempt to imply Ukraine's involvement in terrorism.”
“14 kilograms of explosives, divided into six different parts, will not cause significant infrastructural damage, regardless of what the SSS tells us. This is associated with the ruling party of Ukraine, the "Servant of the People," as one of the suspects ran as a candidate for the Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) four years ago. It remains unclear whether they brought it or not.
SSS is extremely unreliable when it comes to anything related to Ukraine and Russia. They have been caught many times working along with Russia.
This entire narrative was constructed so that ultimately they could say that this party was plotting terrorist attacks in Tbilisi and Voronezh and that we, along with FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service), thwarted them. SSS should be aware that there is a war between Russia and Ukraine. If we entertain the notion that all of this is true, then SUS did not lie. It is more plausible that this substance was intended for use against Russian military facilities. Why does SSS dismiss this possibility? On what basis? How do they conclude that orchestrating a terrorist attack was the primary objective behind importing this substance?” remarked Utiashvili.
Cyber security expert Andro Gotsiridze does not dismiss the possibility that the arrival of explosive devices and substances in Georgia could be a provocation orchestrated by the Russians themselves to accuse Georgia with the intention of terrorism or for the transit of explosive substances.
“It is an inherently dangerous discovery because the potential for a genuine terrorist threat cannot be discounted. The presence of a citizen from a particular country does not necessarily indicate a threat from that country,” says Gotsiridze.
According to the announcement made by the Security Service yesterday, the process of exporting explosive substances and devices to Russia via Georgia was organized by a Ukrainian citizen, Andrei Sharashidze, a member of the Servant of the People party and a former candidate for the Kyiv district deputy of the local Rada of Odesa in 2020, is originally from the city of Batumi. The Russian propaganda media commended the Georgian special services.
