Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of Georgia, has announced the formation of a volunteer international unit named "Georgievsky" in Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine, stating his intention to command it personally.
In an interview with the Russian state news agency TASS, he explained that the unit was formed by like-minded individuals and supporters who advocate for "the unification of our peoples and countries" and the "defense of traditional family values."
"It was the Russian Mikhail Yegorov and the Georgian Meliton Kantaria who raised the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag in 1945; one in four of my compatriots fought for freedom. I am certain that, just as back then, a Russian and a Georgian will once again raise the symbol of the enemy's defeat. An international unit named ‘Georgievsky’ has been formed by our like-minded associates and supporters who stand for the unification of our peoples and countries and the defense of traditional family values," he declared.
Partskhaladze linked the unit's name to the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783, which, according to him, played a significant role in the history of the Georgian people.
The former Prosecutor General defined the unit's primary mission as the need to "see through to the end the struggle against the evil that threatens not only us but the entire world."
He emphasized that his decision to participate in the war on Russia's side was voluntary. Furthermore, Partskhaladze claims that since the onset of full-scale hostilities, he and his team have been assisting Russian military personnel and the civilian population in the occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk region, as well as in Russia's Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions. "Today, as Russia fights against Western pressure to preserve its identity, traditions, language, and culture, I am ready to help the Motherland achieve all the goals set by the leader," the former high-ranking Georgian official declared.
The former Prosecutor General's decision was confirmed by his close friend, Moscow businessman and pro-Kremlin figure Mamuka Pipia. According to Pipia, Partskhaladze "serves Russia and Vladimir Putin personally," and the creation of the "Georgievsky" military unit was allegedly approved "at the highest level." Pipia also published a photograph of the former Georgian official wearing camouflage and a "Romanov" patch; in the image, he is standing against the backdrop of the Russian flag.
The Georgian opposition drew particular attention to the new unit's name. Irakli Pavlenishvili, a leader of the United National Movement party, stated that the name was a deliberate reference to the site where the Treaty of Georgievsk was signed between Eastern Georgia and the Russian Empire. In the opposition figure's view, one of the consequences of that historic agreement was Georgia's loss of independence for a prolonged period.
Pavlenishvili also noted that representatives of the current Georgian government, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, had previously spoken positively about the Treaty of Georgievsk, describing it as a progressive step that, in their opinion, saved Georgia.
Partskhaladze himself had assumed a high-ranking government post following the change of power in the country. In 2013, he was appointed Prosecutor General of Georgia upon the nomination of the Georgian Dream party, which had recently come to power.
In April 2026, Mikheil Saakashvili recalled that the official indictments against him in two criminal cases—the "suit jackets" case and the "November 7" case—had been signed by the then-Chief Prosecutor Partskhaladze. According to Saakashvili, after Georgian Dream came to power, Archil Kbilashvili was initially appointed Chief Prosecutor. However, the former president claims Kbilashvili refused to bring baseless charges against him and was subsequently dismissed.
"Then, on orders from Moscow, Partskhaladze was appointed; it turned out he was an active FSB officer, and he was the one who fabricated the charges against me. I am still being tried based on the 'case' he put together," Saakashvili stated.
Otar Partskhaladze headed the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia for less than two months—from November 7 to December 30, 2013. His resignation was prompted by information released by the opposition regarding a prior criminal conviction in Germany for theft.
After resigning, he went into business and later moved to Russia. There, he obtained Russian citizenship and began using the double surname Romanov-Partskhaladze.
Ten years later, in October 2023, the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, issued a decree stripping Partskhaladze of his Georgian citizenship.
On December 30, 2025, the Tbilisi City Court ordered Partskhaladze’s arrest in absentia on charges of organizing the murder of businessman Levan Jangveladze.
