Georgians back Ukraine in its fight for territorial integrity

By Georgy Kalatozisshvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza

 

A few weeks ago, Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who lives in the U.S. and finds time to back Ukraine, said in an interview with Rustavi-2 TV: “The Georgian authorities are summoning officers sent by me to Ukraine to advise the law enforcers of the country and force them to stop their work with threats.” The ex-president has always been an overwrought speaker but his speech was peculiar for the attempt to encourage and legitimize the idea of Georgians participating in the Ukrainian war.

Who the “Georgian officers in Ukraine” he was talking about were remains unclear. Observers have a common opinion that there were no soldiers or members of related structures involved in combat. Maybe Saakashvili was talking about “military engineers” helping Ukrainian friends start production of drones.

The Delta association was manufacturing such drones in the last two months of Mikheil Saakashvili’s rule. The new Georgian government is hardly likely send them to the Ukrainian military, because not a single Georgian minister has visited Kiev after the Euromaidan, fearing to enrage Moscow.

The Prosecutor General’s Office initiated a criminal case against the authorities of Delta, so they had to flee the country. The ex-president invited them to Ukraine, where they took part in testing of a Ukraine-made drone together with Saakashvili and Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

If Georgian engineers are indeed working on Ukrainian drones, such assistance cannot be underestimated, considering the decisive role drones played in the action of the last three months.

A more interesting question is whether Georgians are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army and voluntary groups against Luhansk and Donetsk and Russian volunteers. There are few ethnic Georgians living in Ukraine. Only a few instances have been confirmed of Georgians deliberately going to Ukraine to partake in combat.

A voluntary squad of Mamuka Mamulashvili, an active combatant involved in the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-1993, has been confirmed to be helping the Ukrainian military. Mamulashvili admitted that his squad was not subordinate to the Ukrainian army and was not part of voluntary formations or the National Guards. His squad is small and it is probably engaged in sabotage and reconnaissance missions.

Another example is a militant nicknamed Doberman. He is probably a soldier too. He said in an interview with Georgian mass media that he was fighting Chechens sent to Donbass by Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Dodo Gugeshashvili, the “Georgian Joan of Arc,” a combatant in the civil war that had happened 20 years ago, leader of the Mkhedrioni militarized squad disbanded in the 1990s, is another persona engaged in the Ukrainian conflict. She served time in jail for robbery and being a member of an illegal armed formation.

The instances have already been proven, but they only reflect certain figures and do not give a full picture of the Georgian volunteers. Many may be operating secretly, so as not to enrage Moscow and undermine the bilateral negotiation process. The problem of Georgian volunteers will probably be discussed within the framework of the Karasin-Abashidze format and will have an impact on trade relations with Russia and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Maybe that is why it is almost impossible to find materials about Georgian volunteers in Donbass. The current authorities know well that for Moscow the developments are too important to be left without any very serious consequences.

More instances appear of Georgian volunteers protecting Ukraine’s territory By Georgy Kalatozisshvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaA few weeks ago, Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who lives in the U.S. and finds time to back Ukraine, said in an interview with Rustavi-2 TV: “The Georgian authorities are summoning officers sent by me to Ukraine to advise the law enforcers of the country and force them to stop their work with threats.” The ex-president has always been an overwrought speaker but his speech was peculiar for the attempt to encourage and legitimize the idea of Georgians participating in the Ukrainian war.Who the “Georgian officers in Ukraine” he was talking about were remains unclear. Observers have a common opinion that there were no soldiers or members of related structures involved in combat. Maybe Saakashvili was talking about “military engineers” helping Ukrainian friends start production of drones.The Delta association was manufacturing such drones in the last two months of Mikheil Saakashvili’s rule. The new Georgian government is hardly likely send them to the Ukrainian military, because not a single Georgian minister has visited Kiev after the Euromaidan, fearing to enrage Moscow.The Prosecutor General’s Office initiated a criminal case against the authorities of Delta, so they had to flee the country. The ex-president invited them to Ukraine, where they took part in testing of a Ukraine-made drone together with Saakashvili and Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.If Georgian engineers are indeed working on Ukrainian drones, such assistance cannot be underestimated, considering the decisive role drones played in the action of the last three months.A more interesting question is whether Georgians are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian army and voluntary groups against Luhansk and Donetsk and Russian volunteers. There are few ethnic Georgians living in Ukraine. Only a few instances have been confirmed of Georgians deliberately going to Ukraine to partake in combat.A voluntary squad of Mamuka Mamulashvili, an active combatant involved in the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992-1993, has been confirmed to be helping the Ukrainian military. Mamulashvili admitted that his squad was not subordinate to the Ukrainian army and was not part of voluntary formations or the National Guards. His squad is small and it is probably engaged in sabotage and reconnaissance missions.Another example is a militant nicknamed Doberman. He is probably a soldier too. He said in an interview with Georgian mass media that he was fighting Chechens sent to Donbass by Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov.Dodo Gugeshashvili, the “Georgian Joan of Arc,” a combatant in the civil war that had happened 20 years ago, leader of the Mkhedrioni militarized squad disbanded in the 1990s, is another persona engaged in the Ukrainian conflict. She served time in jail for robbery and being a member of an illegal armed formation.The instances have already been proven, but they only reflect certain figures and do not give a full picture of the Georgian volunteers. Many may be operating secretly, so as not to enrage Moscow and undermine the bilateral negotiation process. The problem of Georgian volunteers will probably be discussed within the framework of the Karasin-Abashidze format and will have an impact on trade relations with Russia and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.Maybe that is why it is almost impossible to find materials about Georgian volunteers in Donbass. The current authorities know well that for Moscow the developments are too important to be left without any very serious consequen