Russia declares Georgian legion fighting in Ukraine a terrorist organisation

Russia has added the Georgian Legion, which is fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine, to its federal list of terrorist organisations. 

The Georgian Legion has viewed the designation as evidence of its effective operations.

Kremlin-controlled agencies on Friday released a statement from the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB), indicating that the Southern District military court recognized the “paramilitary formation Georgian National Legion” as a “terrorist organisation” based on evidence provided by the FSB.

“This recognition highlights our effective work, which we will continue. Today, the Georgian Legion will mark its inclusion in Russia’s terrorist list,” said Mamuka Mamulashvili, head of the Legion, in an interview with Radio Liberty.

The FSB’s statement also claimed that the Georgian Legion, established in 2014 under the auspices of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, was currently the largest armed group with a national symbol. Its members were involved in combat operations alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Russian Investigative Committee has initiated criminal cases against Mamulashvili and other Legion members, accusing them of recruiting mercenaries and involving them in armed conflict. They face charges related to the “organization of subversive-terrorist acts, torture of Russian servicemen, and the killing of civilians” within Russian territory.

In February 2024, the Basman District Court of Moscow sentenced Mamulashvili to prison in absentia.