Georgian citizen jailed in Russia for fighting with Ukrainian forces

A Georgian national has been sentenced to nine years in a Russian maximum-security penal colony for fighting on behalf of Ukraine, Russian media reported on Wednesday.

Giorgi Goglidze was convicted of acting as a mercenary and participating in military operations against Russian forces, the state-run news agency TASS said, citing Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Investigators alleged that Goglidze had signed a contract with the Ukrainian armed forces in April 2023 and underwent military training before joining combat operations in eastern Ukraine.

“After the training, he was given firearms, ammunition and special equipment. In exchange for material compensation, he participated in the armed conflict and military operations against the Russian Armed Forces,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

The Russian authorities claim his involvement contributed to the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the deaths of civilians and Russian servicemembers in the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics – territories internationally recognised as part of Ukraine but occupied by Russian-backed forces.