The Ministry of Justice has formally referred the extradition file of Russian national Igor Grechushkin to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for submission to Bulgarian authorities, Voice of Lebanon radio reported on Monday.

Grechushkin, who also holds Cypriot citizenship, is the operator of the Rhosus cargo ship, which gained notoriety after carrying a shipment of ammonium nitrate that ultimately caused the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion, killing over 200 people, injuring thousands, and devastating parts of the city. Lebanese authorities had issued an absentee arrest warrant against him, which led to an Interpol Red Notice and his subsequent arrest at Sofia airport on September 5.