Georgian citizen Irakli Rurua was convicted in absentia by a Russian court for participating in combat operations on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was reported by the Investigative Committee.
The investigation alleges that Rurua, as part of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, participated in combat operations against Russian troops from 2023 to 2025 and received monetary compensation for this. Rurua was found guilty of mercenarism and sentenced in absentia to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony. He is wanted internationally.
At the end of 2025, a Russian court sentenced Georgian citizen Giorgi Partsvania in absentia to 28 years in prison for participating in combat operations on the side of Ukraine. He is accused of participating in an attack on the Belgorod region of Russia. The investigation also claims that Partsvania fought against Russian forces in the “DPR” and “LPR”.
