The ammonium nitrate that devastated Lebanon's capital originated at Rustavi Azot, a large chemical manufacturer in Rustavi, Georgia, according to Georgian government sources. 

The manufacturer sells hundreds of thousands of tons of fertilizers to many traders and companies around the world. The company’s director Ephrem Urumashvili said he could neither confirm nor deny his company sold the particular batch of ammonium nitrate stored in the Beirut port because it “happened under a different ownership” and that Rustavi Azot was preparing an official statement. 

Another company representative said he was worried about a flurry of Russian disinformation and accusations about sales of ammonium nitrate and the factory. 

Concern over becoming collateral damage from disinformation campaigns and online media attacks seeking to capitalize on the humanitarian catastrophe in Beirut is well founded.