Bodies of Georgian fighters killed in Ukraine returned to Tbilisi

The bodies of Georgian fighters Davit Ghoghadze and Bacho Bebia, who were killed in Ukraine, have been returned to the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi.

Relatives, supporters and activists gathered at the airport to receive the bodies, holding Georgian and Ukrainian flags in tribute.

Speaking at the airport, former Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili described the deaths as a painful loss for the families and criticised the absence of official representatives.

“This is, of course, a loss for the families and for the children who have been left without their fathers, but they too will learn that their fathers made a great contribution to preserving the dignity of this country. I regret one thing, that there is not a single official representative here from the Ministry of Defence, that there is no honour guard. This is a great shame. I am sure that every Georgian soldier who cannot be here today feels this loss deeply, because this is a great loss for them as well,” Zourabichvili said.

Ghoghadze, whose body will be taken from Tbilisi to the country’s eastern region of Kakheti, was killed in Ukraine two years ago, but his remains could not be repatriated until now.

Bebia was killed on 21 April in Mykolaiv, when one of the military bases came under bombardment by Russian forces. He will be buried in western city of Zugdidi.