The so-called “supreme court” of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Donetsk has sentenced Georgian fighter Nuri Mitagvaria in absentia to 14 years in a “maximum-security penal colony” for fighting on Ukraine’s side “as a mercenary.” He has also been placed on an international wanted list.
In a June 9 statement, the Russian prosecutor’s office said Mitagvaria, 34, arrived in Ukraine in March 2022, underwent military training, received firearms and other equipment, and participated in combat operations against Russian forces. It alleged that Mitagvaria served in the Georgian National Legion until January 2026 before joining the “paramilitary unit Sokhumi detachment,” which it said is a unit within the 128th Brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard, and later the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Russian prosecutor’s office further claimed that Mitagvaria received 3.7 million rubles as a “reward.”
The Georgian National Legion is a prominent unit of mostly Georgian fighters and volunteers who have been fighting alongside Ukrainian forces since 2014. In 2024, Russia designated the Legion as a terrorist organization. Some of its members have previously been sentenced in absentia by the Russian-backed authorities in Donetsk on similar mercenary charges.
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