The Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia announced that its staff are taking all necessary steps to obtain permission from Georgian law enforcement to meet with two detained Ukrainian citizens and clarify the circumstances of their arrest.

According to the Embassy, it has not yet received official information from the Georgian side regarding the initiation of a criminal case.

“The Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia is closely monitoring reports in the Georgian media about the detention of two Ukrainian citizens suspected of illegally transporting the explosive substance ‘Hexogen.’ At this stage, the Embassy has not been officially informed about the launch of a criminal case. Consular staff are actively working to secure permission to meet with the detainees and clarify all the circumstances of their detention,” the statement reads.

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the detention of the two Ukrainian citizens.

At a briefing on September 11, the SSSG reported that on September 10 a Mercedes-Benz truck with Ukrainian license plates entered Georgia through the Sarpi customs checkpoint after crossing from Ukraine via Romania and Bulgaria. During inspection, authorities discovered 2.4 kilograms of Hexogen hidden in concealed compartments of the vehicle.

According to operational data, the final destination of the explosive material was Tbilisi, specifically a residential building in the Avlabari district.