REGISTER: Bette’s Speakeasy-Fundraiser for the Georgian National Legion — Ukraine
BETTE MEMBERS: Please register for our Sunday Speakeasy-fundraiser for the Georgian National Legion in Ukraine. We'll be joined by Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili and a member of the drone team unit
***Paid Bette members will find the registration link below the paywall. To join our community events and to help support independent investigative journalism in a time of grave peril, please upgrade to a paid membership.***
“The fight for freedom is won by those who refuse to stand down. Today, we need drones to save lives. Please support the Georgian Legion drones fundraiser — every donation becomes eyes in the sky and protection for our warriors.”—Mamuka Mamulashvili
During a Bette’s Happy Hour in September with journalist Adam Sybera, he told us about the Georgian National Legion, which has been fighting in Ukraine against the Russia invaders for more than a decade. He put me in touch with the Legion’s commander Mamuka Mamulashvili, who survived multiple assassination attempts, three poisonings, and 32 years of war.
I’ve stayed in touch with members of the Legion, and they reached out to me last week because they need our community’s help.
On Sunday, you will hear directly from Mamuka and a member of the Legion’s drone team unit.
Here’s the ask:
Georgian National Legion Fundraiser
DJI 300M RTK Drone Systems
The Need
▪ 2 - DJI M300 RTK Systems with Zenmuse H20T Cameras
▪ 2 - Charging Casesd and 16 Batteries
▪ Price - 440,000 UAH each
▪ Total – 880,000 UAH or 20,000 USD
Background
▪ The GL have several drone teams working.
▪ There is a critical need for repeater drones which are used to send and receive signals to / from “other” drones flying beyond line of sight.
▪ Wired repeaters are not an option due to danger of exposure of the operator to enemy indirect fire or FPV’s.
▪ The GL was able to purchase one M300 RTK recently, but two more are needed to fully equip the drone teams and reduce the risk to the repeater operator.
DJI 300M RTK Drone Zenmuse H20T Camera Battery Charging Case Donation Details
PayPal
▪ help2164wolves@proton.me
We have a generous Bette member who will match the first $1,000 in donations, doubling it to $2,000 immediately, as the Legion works toward the $20,000 goal.
I personally know the unit member who is risking his life with direct exposure — and would be very grateful to those of you willing to contribute toward the goal of the Legion buying the proper equipment.
Thank you in advance. Your donation is critical to helping members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Members of the Bette Dangerous community have helped Ukraine in the past, through their direct support of volunteers in Kherson, soldiers on the ground, and filmmaking. We also have supported refugees in Gaza.
Hope to see many of you on Sunday, 11 am Pacific, so you can hear directly from members of the team.
The members of the Georgian National Legion, Ukraine, come from all over the world — 30 countries, including the US — to help defend democracy for all us.
If you are not yet a member of the Bette Dangerous community and would like to join our events, please upgrade to a paid membership here:
More on the Georgian National Legion:
The Georgian National Legion is a unique phenomenon in the history of modern Ukraine and international volunteerism. Established in 2014, it united Georgian and foreign fighters who chose to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Chronology and Development
2014–2015: Formation and First Battles
Following the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the Donbas, a group of Georgian veterans, led by Mamuka Mamulashvili, arrived in Ukraine. The Legion’s first operations took place in Luhansk Oblast.
Initial composition: several dozen volunteers, mostly Georgians with combat experience from the 1990s and the 2008 Russo-Georgian war.
“We came to Ukraine not as mercenaries, but as brothers, because we knew our enemy was the same,” Mamulashvili told Caucasus Watch (2023).
2016: Integration into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The unit grew to several hundred fighters.
2017–2021: Training and Rotations
Participation in positional warfare along the front line.
Training missions for Ukrainian troops.
Establishment of links with foreign volunteers from the US, UK, and the Baltic states.
2022: Full-Scale Invasion
The Legion took part in the defense of Kyiv. It fought in the battles of Hostomel (Antonov Airport), Irpin, and Bucha. Later redeployed eastwards: combat near Izium, Volnovakha, Kharkiv Oblast, and the Battle of Bakhmut.
“When we stood in Hostomel, we understood that if Kyiv fell, Ukraine would fall too. But Kyiv held,” recalled a Legion fighter in an interview with RFE/RL (2023).
2023–2024: Consolidation and Recognition
By 2025, the Legion numbered less then 2,000 fighters.
Representatives of more than 30 countries served within its ranks.
It received growing support from diasporas and volunteer networks.
Structure and Composition
Core: Georgian veterans with extensive combat experience.
Secondary groups: US and UK citizens.
Others: Ukrainians, Belarusians, and fighters from the Baltic states.
Estimated strength in early 2024: approximately 2,500 personnel.
Symbolism and Ideology
Emblem: the wolf, symbolizing loyalty and resilience.
Motto: “For the freedom of Ukraine and Georgia.”
Mamulashvili often stresses: “Every Georgian who dies here fights for his own homeland as well.”
Memorials in Kyiv and Hostomel honoring fallen fighters.
The Legion and its commander have frequently been the targets of Russian disinformation campaigns, especially on Twitter and Telegram.
In 2022, the Legion was recognized as a People’s Hero of Ukraine.
The Georgian National Legion has become not only a military unit but also a symbol of fraternity between Georgians and Ukrainians. It played a decisive role in defending Ukraine, while also embodying Georgia’s own historical struggle against Russian aggression. With thousands of volunteers, decades of combat experience, and deep symbolic resonance, the Legion remains one of the most significant examples of international volunteerism in modern warfare.
Keep scrolling below the paywall for the registration link — hope to see you in the squares!
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