Georgian PM offers condolences to families of Georgian volunteers killed in Ukraine

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday expressed his condolences to the families of the three Georgian volunteers killed in the ongoing military action in Ukraine.

The bodies of the three Georgian former servicemembers would be transported to Georgia by the state, the PM said, adding the lives of “every citizen” were “important” to the Government.

Garibashvili also urged citizens to avoid “speculating” on the deaths of Georgian volunteers in the conflict, calling it “a very bad behaviour [that] causes strife, confusion in the society, tension in the population”. GaribashviliI asked the society to “treat [the deceased] with dignity”.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry confirmed the deaths of two Georgian volunteers in combat action in Ukraine on Friday, with another casualty reported on Sunday. The three volunteers had also fought during the 1992-1993 war in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, while some of them had also entered armed action during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.

Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine George Zakarashvili also said the embassy was working to ensure the transportation of the bodies back to Georgia.