Back الفيلق الجورجي (أوكرانيا) Arabic Gürcüstan Milli Legionu Azerbaijani Georgische Legion (Ukraine) German Legión Nacional de Georgia Spanish Gruusia Rahvusleegion Estonian Georgialaislegioona Finnish Légion géorgienne (Ukraine) French Legione Georgiana Italian ジョージア軍団 (ウクライナ) Japanese ქართული ლეგიონი (უკრაინა) Georgian
 | This article needs to be updated. (March 2024) |
| Georgian National Legion | |
|---|---|
| Грузинський національний легіон (Ukrainian) ქართული ლეგიონი (Georgian) | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Georgianlegionpatch.svg) Unit insignia | |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Allegiance | Ministry of Defense |
| Branch |  Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Size | 2500+ (February 2024)[1][2][3] |
| Patron | Georgia |
| Engagements | Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Website | https://georgianlegion.com.ua/en/ |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Mamuka Mamulashvili |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
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The Georgian National Legion or Georgian Legion (Ukrainian: Грузинський національний легіон, romanized: Hruzynskyi natsionalnyi lehion; Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი, romanized: kartuli legioni) is a military unit formed by mostly ethnic Georgian volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine in the war in Donbas and the Russo-Ukrainian War.[4] The unit was organized in 2014,[5] and in 2016 it was made part of the Ukrainian Army, under the 25th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Kyiv Rus".[6] On 15 June 2024, the unit was classified as a terrorist organization by the Russian government.[7][8][9]
The unit was commanded by Mamuka Mamulashvili, a veteran Georgian officer.[10][5]
The Georgian Legion was noted as being particularly good at recruiting Americans by Kacper Rekawek, an expert on foreign fighters in Ukraine;[11] before the formation of the International Legion of Ukraine in 2022, most pro-Ukrainian foreign fighters served in the Georgian Legion.[12]
As of June 2023, volunteers from 33 nationalities have joined the unit.[13]
- ^ "US veterans head to Ukraine to fight, but Zelenskyy's legion faces hurdles". MilitaryTimes. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Band of others: Ukraine's legions of foreign soldiers are on the frontline". Politico. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Georgia mourns two fighters killed in Ukraine". France24. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Foreign Fighters Vow to Support Ukraine Against Russian Invasion". Coffee or Die Magazine. 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ a b Waller, Nicholas (26 February 2016). "American Ex-Paratrooper Joins Georgian Legion Fighting in Ukraine". Georgia Today. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Times, The Moscow (June 14, 2024). "Moscow Brands Georgian National Legion 'Terrorist Organization'". The Moscow Times.
- ^ Service, RFE/RL's Russian. "Georgian Legion Fighting For Ukraine Designated As 'Terrorist' Group In Russia".
- ^ "Russia Puts "Georgian National Legion" on "Terrorist Organizations" List". Civil Georgia. June 14, 2024.
- ^ "The Georgians of Ukraine. Who are they? • Ukraїner ∙ Expedition through Ukraine!". Ukraїner ∙ Expedition through Ukraine!. 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ^ Olmstead, Molly (10 March 2022). "Who Are the Americans Who Went to Fight in Ukraine?". Slate. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Foreign Fighters Are Rushing to Join Ukraine's New International Battalion". www.vice.com. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
- ^ "Japanese men among over 30 nationalities joining Ukraine's fight | New Straits Times". 26 June 2023.