Russian space agency to provide Lebanon with satellite images of Beirut port

Russian space agency Roscosmos announced on Wednesday that it will provide Lebanon with satellite images from before and after last year’s devastating explosion at the port of Beirut.

Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin made the announcement to reporters in Moscow, adding that he signed the request and attached the wanted footage.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun had asked the Russian ambassador to Beirut for the satellite images last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters last month also that he was ready to provide the images if available, but was unsure if they would aid the probe.

Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator into the blast, asked a number of countries for imagery in May.

A powerful explosion at the Lebanese capital’s port on 4 August killed over 200 people and wounded thousands, while large swathes of the capital were heavily damaged. Some of the port was left in ruins.

Roscosmos published images of the port taken by its satellite Kanopus-V the following day.

The probe into the blast - one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions - has stalled amid a smear campaign against Bitar and pushback from powerful factions.