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First pictures emerge of a Russian man whose ammonium nitrate cargo detonated in the port of Beirut

By The Siberian Times reporter

05 August 2020

The 2,750 tonnes cargo of Khabarovsk-born businessman Igor Grechushkin was detained in Lebanon in 2013.

Igor Grechushkin is reported to be still residing in Limassol, Cyprus with his wife. Picture: Ren TV

The Russian father of one, currently reported to be living in Limassol, Cyprus, was accused by the crew of his ship in abandoning both the people and the cargo.

The ship called Rhosus was going under the flag of Moldova from Batumi in Georgia to Mozambique. It was detained in October 2013 by Lebanese authorities after it stopped in Beirut due to a malfunction on board.

The cargo was checked and detained after the port authorities said it was ‘lacking documents and conditions necessary for transportation.’

The crew - eight Ukrainian and two Russian men - was forced to stay on board of the vessel while the owner Grechushkin declared himself bankrupt and ‘abandoned the ship’.

Lebanese authorities agreed to let six out of ten sailors to leave the country, others were left stranded on the ship for almost a year.

First pictures emerge of a Russian businessman whose ammonium nitrate cargo detonated in the port of Beirut

First pictures emerge of a Russian businessman whose ammonium nitrate cargo detonated in the port of Beirut
Four of the crew pictured in the port of Beirut and later in the autumn of 2014 as they returned to Ukraine. Pictures: Boris Prokoshev, Assol Foundation

‘The owner of the ship Igor Grechushkin effectively abandoned the ship and the remaining crew.

'He is not providing us with money, he completely deprived us of all means of communication.

'He told us that he went bankrupt and while I don’t believe him, the most important thing is that he gave up on both the people and the cargo’, wrote captain Boris Prokoshev back in June 2014 in a desperate plea to international organisations, diplomats, authorities of Ukraine and the authorities of the port of Beirut to release them.

Igor Grechushkin is reported to be still residing in Cyprus with his wife.

Their 20 years son Artyom studies computer science in Scotland, it is understood.

There were no comments so far from Igor Grechushkin or members of his family.

Igor Grechushkin is reported to be still residing in Cyprus with his wife (pictured below). Picture: social media

First pictures emerge of a Russian businessman whose ammonium nitrate cargo detonated in the port of Beirut

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quem vendeu a carga,quem comprou a carga,qual o destino da carga,a muito dinheiro envolvido ,,,ninguem reclamou de prejuizo,,,o unico responsavel ate o momento e o governo libanes,que nunca protegeu seu povo,,os unicos prejudicados neste episodio de irresponsabilidade deste governo foram as pessoas que perderam a vida e seus familiares,,o LIBANO e um pais muito bom,tem um povo respeitador e trabalhador e cumpridores de seu dever,,,,no pais que eu tenho residencia tem 3 vezes mais libanezes residindo do que a populaçao total do libano atual,,,voces sempre foram bem vindo aqui,......

dakys zammois, mcspbr

12/01/2021 21:57

Iggy Grech... who bought the load?

Mark Treais, United Kingdom

08/01/2021 00:22

The question no one seems to be asking is how could Igor Grechushkin, who claims to have no money, buy a ship (even an old ship) and then land a carry contract worth 1 million bucks, with next to zero shipping experience? AND also not have the few thousands bucks for simple ship repairs and ports fees or the Suez passage? Anyone care to explain this to me? This entire thing stinks of corruption.

Michael Lamb, United States

13/08/2020 21:08

we know where "fertilizer" was going, and it was not africa. we are not involved. igor knows the details of how it landed there. and hezbollah knows why it went boom. never run munitions next to weapons-grade AN. you messed up.

bibby, south of golan

10/08/2020 09:50

The cargo was seized by Lebanese Coast Guard.
It said the Ammonium nitrate is shipped to Israel and its being held because Israel is under embargo for agricoltural help.Order emitted by Joe Biden,Dutch government and Eu representative ,the serb Micalko.
Because of that Igor Grechushkin bankrupted and not vic- versa.

Gilgamesh, Italy

09/08/2020 19:32

@Maria, Limassol Please, could you contact us via news@siberiantimes.com

The Siberian Times, Novosibirsk

09/08/2020 13:12

I know a little about the family of Igor Grechushkin. He is not an oligarch, he lives in a small apartment with his wife and two small children, the eldest son is studying abroad. A very modest and decent family.

I didn't know he had a ship, I just never asked about it.

Maria, Limassol

09/08/2020 13:01

His wife look pretty good for having a 20 year old kid

Steve Bruce, Waldport, OR

08/08/2020 11:22

another story goes in the media, the SUADIS were the senders of the AN to SYRIA. but not to Assad... the ships owner was a - Russian - who lived since donkeys years in Cyprus. On the way to Syria the ship had troubles and went into Beirut port for repairs. Looks like it was to be rather expensive... the owner declared therefore bankruptcy, - he had no money to pay for the repairs- . but also no wages for the sailors, for moth. locals helped out with food and mobile telephones, so the stranded sailors could at least call home and tell their worried relatives that they are still alive... and since no money was forthcoming, the Beirut Port Authorities confiscated the cargo to defray expenses. Did they know what was there? one thing is for sure. 6 years the stuff was stored in a warehouse there. and nothing happened. why just now? there must have been also some -external - influence, because -just like that - SN does not blow u,. WIKKI has more of the story...

MORAK Benedikt, Moscow

08/08/2020 08:47

this nitrate was not for agriculture, on several photos we can see the name of the Brazilian factory https://web.archive.org/web/20191223144408/http:/www.nitroprill.com.br/home/produtos. This factory fabrics only explosives. And Mozambic or Zimbabwe refute being behind this order. Think also, if it was fertiliser, it would be used and not stored. Also who knows the exact quantity stored. Germany found 3 tons on his soils that was enough to declare hezb a terrorist organisation last month.

totor, Paris

07/08/2020 18:03

Hmmm. Hezbollah decided to blow something down south. Given Embargo and restrictions, they decide to bring explosives into the country in creative way. The rest is history. Also did not end to be used as per masterminds plan.

Sceptic, Alaska

07/08/2020 18:02

dial back and search up what was happening in region back then. knowing russian shady involvements it is clear this cargo was intended for Sirian war and situation destabilization in the region.

Niko, Scandinavia

07/08/2020 14:41

Following the money to the root cause of the problem... Frankly, I say someone is getting money from an insurance claim on this cargo, which is especially obvious in consideration of international laws that govern marine underwriting Practices. It’s a deviously clever way to profit substantially especially because the connections between owners, suppliers, sub contractors, are hidden and confusing. The term ‘Flags of Convenience’ is very revealing here as well.

Befaffled Barnacle , WUSA

07/08/2020 13:53

The Siberian Times is a Western supported tabloid whose task is to smear everything related to Russia. They are the ones financing that traitor of Navalny, they want to bring Russia back to the Perestroika, where millions of Russians lost their lives to misery and desperation, so that they can grab her natural resources and de facto take possession of the country.

Carlos, Spain

07/08/2020 13:15

As I read the history here, the ship asked to dock in Beirut because a possible hole in the ship, and then it was seized for its dangerous cargo and condition.

I'm not denying that it was incredibly stupid to leave the material on the dock in such poor conditions. Or to have regulations and laws so flimsy that this could happen.

When push came to shove though, this oligarch declared bankruptcy and left his employees stuck on board without even food and water. I don't know about you, but he doesn't look like he is hurting for money with big parties, iPhones, computers and a nice motorcycle. Meanwhile, ownership of the ammonium nitrate was probably still legally unresolved.

This lack of responsible business ethics is what started this chain of events with his crappy boat and then lack of accountability. Where was his insurance policy? Always follow the money to get to the root cause. I think he should be held partially responsible if he didn't pay his debts.

Katherine, Oregon, United States

07/08/2020 09:58

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