Ukrainian Security Service: Georgian Citizen with Explosives Arrested

Head of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said a Georgia citizen carrying a firearm and TNT explosive with detonators was arrested on February 5.

Valaentyn Nalyvaichenko, head of SBU, told Ukraine’s major TV station, Inter, that the 41-year-old man was arrested in Kiev’s Independent Square. He said that the man also held a second, Ukrainian passport and a probe was also underway to find out how a foreign national could obtain the Ukrainian passport.

SBU, which under the constitution is subordinated to the President, said in a written statement, posted on its website, that investigators were checking the version of possible planned explosion during the rallies in Kiev, held by presidential candidates as part of their electoral campaign ahead of Sunday’s runoff vote.

In the written statement, the arrested man is referred as “a citizen” without giving its name or citizenship.

Grigol Katamadze, Georgia’s ambassador to Ukraine, said that the embassy had not been informed by the Ukrainian authorities about the detention of a Georgian citizen.

“Usually when a citizen of Georgia is arrested we are immediately informed about it through official channels. But as of now, in this case, we have not received any such information about the arrest of a Georgian citizen,” Katamadze told Georgian television station, Rustavi 2 TV, by phone on February 6.

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