A few contradictions in the Russian versions of the Crimean Bridge blast and the "Bulgarian connection" - what are they?

According to the latest statements of the Russian Federal Security Service, the explosive device used on the Crimean Bridge set off from Odessa in early August towards the Bulgarian port of Rousse. The route also passed through Georgia and Armenia.

There are a number of contradictions in the two Russian versions of the Crimean Bridge explosion. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation claims that the lorry blown up on the bridge was passing through Bulgaria. It has been established beyond doubt that the lorry never entered Bulgaria, and this has been officially stated by the government. Today, the Russian Federal Security Service came out with another version.

There are contradictions in the first version, which talked about a lorry and then about a bus. Today, October 12, RIA Novosti published successive videos of the alleged lorry, which also have numerous inconsistencies - visible at first glance.

In one picture you can see there are two axles, in the other - one. In the video, there is a spare tire at the end of the trailer, and on the scanner - there isn’t one. There are also contradictions in the claim that the lorry was moving from Bulgaria to Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and the Krasnodar region. Armenia does not have a border with Russia or North Ossetia.

Furthermore, this lorry has never been to Bulgaria, has never travelled on Bulgarian roads and has never passed through any Bulgarian ports.

"The Bulgarian security services did their job. The position of the Council of Ministers, which came out and was categorical. Yesterday all the materials and documents were handed over to the Prosecutor's office. So from now on, any questions, should be referred to it, because the presentation of information regarding these documents can only be done by the Prosecutor's office, to which the materials were handed over," caretaker Minister of Interior Demerdzhiev said.

First, it is claimed that it left the port of Odessa and reached Rousse (on the Danube river, Northern Bulgaria). This cannot happen because a container ship cannot cross the Danube delta and reach Rousse.

It is even less possible at the beginning of August, when the water level of the Danube was critically low and commercial shipping was almost blocked. The company cited by the FSS, Baltex Capital, is not registered in the Bulgarian commercial register, but has had a warehouse in the largest logistics and industrial centre in Rousse for eight years.

"Baltex, I think, have goods with us at the moment, but more information will be available from the services when the result comes out," said Georgi Stoilov - executive director of Free Zone - Rousse.

The international forwarding of the cargo was carried out by the company "Tiva com". Its manager, Valeri Iliev, explained that it was not a truck, but a container with construction film, which was processed only by documents because it was sealed. He fully confirmed Bulgaria's official position on the case.

"The goods that we have processed, they left Ukraine, passed through Romania and from there they continued their journey to their final destination. That’s it, full stop. What has come out as an announcement from the Bulgarian government, that is the very truth. There is no involvement of Bulgaria as a state in this process," said Valeri Iliev, manager of the forwarding company “Tiva Com”.

The logistics and industrial centre in Rousse has provided the authorities with all available documents and video recordings.

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