Tbilisi Mayor rejects claims that 2008 war began on 7 August, backs sabotage probe over ‘anti-tourism’ campaign

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has dismissed opposition claims that the 2008 Russia-Georgia war began on 7 August, saying historical records show the conflict started on 8 August, while also defending a state investigation into an alleged anti-tourism disinformation campaign.

Speaking to the press of Friday, Kaladze said archived footage and official documents supported the government's position on the chronology of the war and accused the opposition United National Movement (UNM) of attempting to rewrite history.

"History cannot be rewritten," Kaladze said, adding that archived materials and an international resolution signed at the time support the government's account. 

The mayor also accused the former UNM government of pursuing a "treasonous" policy that he claimed had harmed the Georgian state, alleging its actions resulted in responsibility for the outbreak of the war being attributed to Georgia and its armed forces. 

Separately, Kaladze welcomed the State Security Service's investigation into an alleged foreign-backed campaign to discourage Russian-speaking tourists from travelling to Georgia.

He described the alleged campaign as part of a "hybrid war" against Georgia, claiming that false social media content and bot-generated material had been amplified by a major international media platform with the aim of damaging Georgia's tourism sector and economy.

The mayor said Georgia remained a safe destination for visitors of all nationalities.

"Everyone is welcome in Georgia - Swiss, Americans, Russians, Ukrainians, Italians. No one is restricted," he said.

Kaladze also criticised recent comments by senior UNM figure Giorgi Baramidze regarding Georgian soldiers who fought in the conflicts in Abkhazia, describing them as "very serious" and part of what he called an ongoing hybrid campaign against the Georgian state.

He accused Baramidze of insulting both the Georgian military and the state, saying such remarks should not go unanswered.