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Georgian Legion (Ukraine)

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This article is about the Ukrainian military unit. For other military units with that name, see Georgian Legion.
Georgian National Legion
Ukrainian: Грузинський національний легіон
Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი
Unit insignia
Founded2014 (2014)
Country Ukraine
AllegianceMinistry of Defense
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
Size700–1,000+ (March 2022)[1][2][3]
PatronGeorgia
EngagementsRusso-Ukrainian War
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Mamuka Mamulashvili
Insignia
Identification
symbol
"Glory to Heroes", a stencil graffiti in Tbilisi, depicting the late volunteer Alexander Grigolashvili, in 2015.

The Georgian National Legion or Georgian Legion (Ukrainian: Грузинський національний легіон, romanized: Hruzynsʹkyy natsionalʹnyy lehion; Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი kartuli legioni) is a military unit formed by mostly ethnic Georgian volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine in the War in Donbas and the Russo-Ukrainian War.[4] The unit was organized in 2014,[5] and in 2016 it was transferred under the control of the Ukrainian Army, under the 25th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Kyiv Rus".[6]

The unit is commanded by Mamuka Mamulashvili, a veteran Georgian officer.[7][5]

The GL was noted as being particularly good at recruiting Americans by Kacper Rekawek, an expert on foreign fighters in Ukraine,[8] before the formation of the International Legion of Ukraine in 2022, most foreign fighters served the Georgian Legion.[9]

History

Background

The Georgian Legion was founded by Mamuka Mamulashvili a veteran of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict, First Chechen War, and the Russo-Georgian War.[5] He later commented “The idea of creating the legion was to gather people of different nationalities to serve together to stand against Russian aggression, and we did it.”[4] Georgian volunteers frequently cited Ukraine and Georgia's common cause against Russia and insisted that fighting against the Russian aggression in Ukraine was also a patriotic act that served Georgia's interests.[10]

Founding

The Georgian Legion was formed sometime in 2014 after the start of the War in the Donbas with initially only 6 Georgian members and had grown to about 20 members by the end of that year. In mid December 2014 the group was visited by Giorgi Baramidze, the then Georgian minister for European integration. In January 2015, the unit suffered its first casualty, Tamaz Sukhiashvili, a veteran of the Georgian Army.[11] Involvement of individual Georgians on the Ukrainian side was, to a degree, encouraged by the then-Ukraine-based former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and his associates from Georgia's United National Movement party.[12]

On 5 February, the Georgians' service was appreciated by the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate, Patriarch Filaret, by awarding 29 Georgian fighters a medal for their "love and sacrifice for Ukraine."[12]

After the Minsk II agreement of February 11, the future of the unit was briefly uncertain. In October the Ukrainian parliament passed a law allowing foreign nationals and stateless persons to be hired by the Ukrainian army on contract and the bill was signed into law on November 5.[11]

Integration with the Ukrainian military

In February 2016, the Georgian Legion was officially integrated into the 25th mechanized infantry battalion "Kyiv Rus" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[6]

It fought in eastern Ukraine under the overall command of the 54th Mechanized Brigade. In December 2017, the Legion withdrew from the brigade citing the "incompetence" of the brigade's command after a costly operation conducted near Svitlodarsk on 16 December 2017.[13] The 54th Mechanized Brigade denied that a "Georgian Legion" had ever existed among their ranks.[14]

In January 2018 the Legion's commander Mamulashvili said the unit remained committed to the Ukrainian cause and moved to another brigade and added that the decision was not connected to a political conflict between Mikheil Saakashvili and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.[15]

In February 2022, immediately prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Georgian Legion was involved in training newly recruited Ukrainian civilians.[16] The unit took part in combat from the first days of the invasion; it fought in the Battle of Antonov Airport and Battle of Hostomel.[17][18]

In early March 2022, the Georgian Legion reportedly had over 300 new interested recruits attempting to join.[19] According to Legion policy, only experienced fighters or military veterans are allowed to join their ranks. People who didn't meet those requirements were refused.[20] People with extremist views are also not welcome in the unit.[21] The legion subsequently redeployed to help fend off the Eastern Ukraine offensive.[22]

Casualties

The April Nine Monument in Tbilisi displays photos of Georgian and foreign volunteers who died defending Ukraine in 2022.

During the 2022 Russian invasion, 19 Georgian Legion volunteers have so far been reported killed.[23] These include:

  • Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani,[24] who were killed in a nighttime artillery attack during the Battle of Irpin,[25] and later Davit (Dato) Gobejishvili was killed in the same battle.[26]
  • Bakhva Chikobava, advisor to Azov Battalion, who was killed during the Siege of Mariupol,[26] and Tato Bigvava (commander of second company Azov), who was killed during the standoff at the Azovstal plant.[27]
  • Alexander (Alika) Tsaava, Arkadi Kasradze and Zaza Bitsadze, who were killed in Rubizhne.[28]
  • Giorgi Grigolia, who was killed during fighting near Bakhmut.[29]
  • Kiril Shanava and Kakha Gogol, who were killed during fighting in Luhansk[30] Kakha Gogol was reportedly killed as a result of an airstrike.[31]
  • Aluda Zviadauri, who was killed during fighting near Lysychansk.[32]
  • Davit Menabdishvili and Nikoloz (Nika) Shanava, who were killed fighting in Izyum
  • Rati Shurgaia, who died as a result of injuries sustained during fighting near Izyum

Accusation of war crime

See also: War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine § Execution of captured Russian soldiers

On 30 March 2022, a video surfaced of the aftermath of an ambushed Russian paratrooper BMD-2 armored vehicle, geolocated in the area of Dmitrovka located a few kilometers from Bucha, Kyiv Oblast.[33] A different video of the same event shows how one of the captured and seemingly injured Russian serviceman is shot by an unknown member of the Ukrainian forces.[34]

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the video will "definitely be investigated".[35] Mamuka Mamulashvili denied the Georgian in the video was part of the Legion.[33]

Foreign fighters

The Georgian Legion is made up of about 500 Georgians and an equal number of various other nationalities.[36] The following countries have had nationals reported as being members of the Georgian Legion:

Activity

The Legion conducts sabotage and reconnaissance activities, and also instructs and trains Ukrainian soldiers and foreign volunteers. It also repeatedly participated in positional battles and offensives.

See also

References

  1. ^ "US veterans head to Ukraine to fight, but Zelenskyy's legion faces hurdles". MilitaryTimes. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Band of others: Ukraine's legions of foreign soldiers are on the frontline". Politico. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Georgia mourns two fighters killed in Ukraine". France24. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Foreign Fighters Vow to Support Ukraine Against Russian Invasion". Coffee or Die Magazine. 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  5. ^ a b c d Waller, Nicholas (26 February 2016). "American Ex-Paratrooper Joins Georgian Legion Fighting in Ukraine". Georgia Today. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Georgian Legion join Ukraine Armed Force". Ukrinform. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  7. ^ "The Georgians of Ukraine. Who are they? • Ukraїner ∙ Expedition through Ukraine!". Ukraїner ∙ Expedition through Ukraine!. 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  8. ^ Olmstead, Molly (10 March 2022). "Who Are the Americans Who Went to Fight in Ukraine?". Slate. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Foreign Fighters Are Rushing to Join Ukraine's New International Battalion". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  10. ^ Cecire, Michael (4 October 2016). "Same sides of different coins: contrasting militant activisms between Georgian fighters in Syria and Ukraine". Caucasus Survey. 4 (3): 282–295. doi:10.1080/23761199.2016.1231382. S2CID 133535877.
  11. ^ a b Potočňák, Adam; Mareš, Miroslav (2019). "Georgian Foreign Fighters in the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine, 2014–2017". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 32 (2): 164–171. doi:10.1080/13518046.2019.1618583. S2CID 198675061. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  12. ^ a b Kakachia, Kornely (2016). "Georgia and the Russian–Ukrainian conflict". In Besier, Gerhard; Stoklosa, Katarzyna (eds.). Neighbourhood Perceptions of the Ukraine Crisis: From the Soviet Union into Eurasia?. Taylor & Francis. p. 148. ISBN 9781317089117.
  13. ^ "UAWire - 'Georgian Legion' leaves Ukrainian Armed Forces". uawire.org. Retrieved 2020-01-27. and Mariamidze, Tea (20 December 2017). "Heavy Shelling Wounds Georgian Legion Members in Eastern Ukraine". Messenger Online. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Georgian volunteers in Ukraine war quit military unit after 'provocations'". Democracy and Freedom Watch. 10 Jan 2018.
  15. ^ "Georgian Legion Commander: we moved to another brigade within Ukrainian Armed Forces". UAWire. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  16. ^ a b Hauer, Neil (16 February 2022). "The Georgian fighters stiffening Ukraine's defences against possible Russian attack". National Post. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  17. ^ Andy Blatchford (24 March 2022). "Band of others: Ukraine's legions of foreign soldiers are on the frontline". Politico. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  18. ^ Wendell Steavenson (15 March 2022). ""I'll stay until Putin's dead or the war is over": the Americans fighting for Ukraine". Economist. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  19. ^ Lowry, Willy (4 March 2022). "Foreign fighters answer Zelenskyy's call to defend Ukraine". The National News. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  20. ^ "- He had no experience - VG". 17 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Band of others: Ukraine's legions of foreign soldiers are on the frontline". Politico. 24 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Texas paratrooper and Iraq veteran reveals his reasons for protecting Ukraine". NV. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  23. ^ "Georgian volunteer dies in war in Ukraine". Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  24. ^ "Identities of Two Georgian Volunteer Fighters Killed in Ukraine Revealed". Georgia Today. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  25. ^ "Gia Beriashvili Death, Georgian volunteers for Ukraine Dead". InsideEko.com. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  26. ^ a b "Two More Georgian Fighters Killed in Ukraine". Civil.ge. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  27. ^ staff, DFWatch (2022-05-12). "27 y/o Georgian killed in the bastion of Mariupol's Ukrainian defenders". Democracy & Freedom Watch. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  28. ^ "Three More Georgian Fighters Killed in Ukraine Today". Civil.ge. 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  29. ^ "Georgian volunteer fighter died in Ukraine". Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  30. ^ "Georgian fighter Kiril Shanava, 23, was killed in Ukraine". Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  31. ^ "Details of Georgian volunteer's death in Ukraine become known". Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  32. ^ "Georgian fighter was killed in Ukraine". Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  33. ^ a b "Video appears to show Ukrainian soldier killing Russian prisoner". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  34. ^ "Video appears to show killing of captive Russian soldier". BBC News. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  35. ^ Nathan Hodge, Eoin McSweeney and Niamh Kennedy (7 April 2022). "Video appears to show execution of Russian prisoner by Ukrainian forces". CNN. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  36. ^ "Georgia mourns two fighters killed in Ukraine". 25 March 2022.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i "British conflict medic joins Ukrainian forces in Donbas". Unian. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  38. ^ Visioner [@@visionergeo] (May 11, 2022). "A Chilean volunteer fights alongside the Georgian Legion against Russian occupation forces in Ukraine" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 May 2022 – via Twitter. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  39. ^ "Russia-Ukraine crisis: Came to Ukraine for studies, Indian student now taking combat training | Ground report".
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