Bodies of two Georgian volunteers killed in Ukraine transferred to Georgia

The bodies of Zaza Bitsadze and Alika Tsaava, two Georgian volunteers killed during hostilities in Ukraine, were transferred to Georgia earlier today, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Georgian service has reported.

Bitsadze, 50, and Tsaava, 40, who died on April 16 in a clash near the town Rubizhne in the country's eastern Luhansk region, were trying to retrieve the body of another Georgian fighter Arkadi Kasradze, whose body was repatriated to Georgia yesterday morning. 

A civil memorial service was held in Ukraine for Bitsadze, Tsaava and Kasradze several days ago, the Georgian Public Broadcaster reported. 

Bitsadze, who had been fighting in Ukraine since 2014, also volunteered in the 1992-1993 war in Georgia’s Abkhazia region, while Tsaava fought in the Russia-Georgia war in 2008. 

As of today, nine Georgian fighters have died during the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.