Bulgarian authorities have arrested Igor Grechushkin, the Russian owner of the cargo ship linked to the ammonium nitrate stockpile that caused the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020, according to Lebanese judicial officials.
The arrest comes nearly five years after a Lebanese investigative judge issued Interpol warrants for Grechushkin and the ship’s captain, Boris Prokoshev, also a Russian national. Officials confirmed that documents are being prepared to request Grechushkin’s transfer to Lebanon for questioning. If extradition is denied, investigators may travel to Bulgaria to interrogate him there.
The Beirut blast of 4 August 2020 killed at least 218 people, injured more than 6,000, and caused billions of euros in damages, leaving parts of the capital in ruins. To date, no Lebanese official has been convicted in connection with the tragedy.
Earlier this year, Lebanon swore in President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and a reformist Cabinet who vowed to pursue the stalled investigation and hold those responsible accountable. Authorities believe the explosion was sparked by a fire in a port warehouse where tons of industrial-grade ammonium nitrate had been negligently stored for years.
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