Mamuka "Ushangi" Mamulashvili ( ka, მამუკა (უშანგი) მამულაშვილი; ; born 22 April 1978) is a Georgian military unit leader who currently commands the Georgian Legion in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Biography

Early life

Mamuka Mamulashvili was born on 22 April 1978 in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, the capital of the then

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. His father, Zurab Mamulashvili, was a military commander during the

1992–1993 War in Abkhazia Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno D ...

. His sister,

Nona Mamulashvili Nona Mamulashvili ( ka, ნონა მამულაშვილი; born 13 March 1977) is a Georgian political figure. In November 2020 Nona was elected a member of Parliament of Georgia by party list, bloc: " United National Movement – ...

, is a politician and deputy of

Parliament of Georgia The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members elected through fully pr ...

. He is a member of the

United National Movement United National Movement (UNM; ka, ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, tr) also colloquially known as the Natsebi is a liberal conservative political party in Georgia. Tina Bokuchava serves as the p ...

party of former Georgian President

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...

War in Abkhazia

Mamulashvili fought for Georgia in the

War in Abkhazia War in Abkhazia may refer to: *War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) The War in Abkhazia was fought between Georgian government and paramilitary forces, and a coalition of Abkhaz separatist forces and North Caucasian militants between 1992 and 1993 ...

(1992–1993) when he was 14, alongside his father who was a Georgian military officer. Mamulashvili later recalled, "My first war was in the 1990s, in Abkhazia." During the war he was captured by Abkhaz forces and held for three months before being released.

First Chechen War

Mamulashvili fought as a foreign volunteer against

Russian forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent combat ...

in the

First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...

(1994–1996).

Return to Georgia

After the First Chechen War, Mamulashvili traveled to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to finish his education. He then returned to Georgia and served as a senior military advisor to Georgian President

. Mamulashvili fought for Georgia in the

Russo-Georgian War The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia,Occasionally, the war is also referred to by other names, such as the Five-Day War and August War. was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the ...

of 2008.

Ukraine

Mamulashvili moved to Ukraine in 2013 in order to support the

Euromaidan Euromaidan ( ; , , ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv. The p ...

Georgian Legion

In 2014, Mamulashvili was one of the founding members of the Ukrainian Georgian Legion and is currently leading it against the 2022 Russian invasion. He took part in the Battle of Hostomel Airport. Mamulashvili supports a

no-fly zone A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ), is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power's terri ...

to be placed over Ukraine, which he says is necessary to prevent Russian airstrikes. There have been allegations of war crimes under his command, as part of the mis- treatment of prisoners of war in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which were seemingly confirmed by Mamuka, only for the commander to deny them later on. In an interview published by the YouTube channel of the dissident Russian businessman

Mikhail Khodorkovsky Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (, ; born 26 June 1963), sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman, Russian oligarchs, oligarch, and Russian opposition, opposition activist, now residing in London. In 2003, Khodork ...

, he said about the treatment of Russian prisoners: "Sometimes we tie them hands and feet. I speak for the Georgian Legion, we will never take Russian prisoners." Mamoulashvili justified

no quarter No quarter, during War, military conflict or piracy, implies that combatants would not be taken Prisoner of war, prisoner, but executed. Since the Hague Convention of 1899, it is considered a war crime; it is also prohibited in customary interna ...

for Russian soldiers as a response to the

Bucha massacre The Bucha massacre (; ) was the mass murder of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war by the Russian Armed Forces during the fight for and occupation of the city of Bucha as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photographic and video ...

. On June 13, 2024, Mamulashvili reported that he's been poisoned for the third time.

Criminal charges in Russia

As of September 2023, eight criminal cases have been initiated against Mamulashvili in Russia. Charges against him include recruiting mercenary fighters, inciting ethnic hatred and other. Mamulashvili alleged that Russia has also placed a bounty on him.

Coup plot accusation in Georgia

On September 18, 2023, the

State Security Service of Georgia The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG; ka, სახელმწიფო უსაფრთხოების სამსახური ''SUS is a state intelligence agency of Georgia, under the authority of the Government, which cover ...

(SSG) accused Saakashvili and his followers of plotting with the Ukrainian government and Georgian volunteers in Ukraine of planning a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

against the Georgian government, via organizing of mass antigovernment protests. Mamulashvili responded saying the development seemed to be orchestrated by the Kremlin, and that the "baseless" accusation demonstrated that the ruling party in Georgia was being supported by the Kremlin. Kyiv demanded that Saakashvili be taken to a neutral country's clinic, citing he wasn't safe in Georgian authorities' care.

Coup plot accusation in Slovakia

On 31 January 2025, the prime minister of Slovakia

Robert Fico Robert Fico (; born 15 September 1964) is a Slovak politician who has served as the prime minister of Slovakia since 2023. He previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. He founded the left-wing political party D ...

together with

Slovak Information Service Slovak may refer to: * Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'') * Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group * Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages * Slovak, Arkan ...

accused the Georgian Legion of organising anti-government demonstrations with the goal of

in the country. At the press conference, Fico showed photographs of Mamulashvili with protest-organising group Mier Ukrajine (Peace to Ukraine) activist Lucia Štasselová and online news commentator Martin M. Šimečka, the father of opposition leader

Michal Šimečka Michal Šimečka (born 10 May 1984) is a Slovak politician, journalist, and researcher, who served as a Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2022 and 2023. He also became a Member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2023. In ...

. Due to these accusations, Mamulashvili and 9 other people have been banned from entering the territory of Slovakia.

Awards

*3rd degree Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali (1992) *Order of the People's Hero of Ukraine *

Order for Courage The Order for Courage () is a Ukrainian award established by Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma on August 21, 1996. Design by Ukrainian artist Mykola Lebid. Awards of the President of Ukraine for Courage Before August, 1996, personal bravery ha ...

* Cross of Ivan Mazepa *Medal "For Sacrifice and Love for Ukraine"

References

External links

Мамука Мамулашвілі розповів чому Грузія воює в Україні

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamulashvili, Mamuka 1978 births Living people Foreign volunteers in Chechnya Military personnel from Tbilisi Ukrainian military personnel of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Military personnel of the Russo-Georgian War People of the Euromaidan Recipients of the Cross of Ivan Mazepa Recipients of the Order For Courage, 3rd class Ukrainian military personnel of the war in Donbas Child soldiers Pro-Ukraine foreign volunteers in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Fugitives wanted by Russia