REMINDER: Register for Bette’s Happy Hour with Mamuka Mamulashvili of the Georgian National Legion — Ukraine
BETTE MEMBERS: Register to meet the commander of the Georgian National Legion in Ukraine Mamuka Mamulashvili at our Tuesday Happy Hour, noon Pacific; with Adam Sybera co-hosting. Plus how you can help
***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.***
Thank you to those who attended Bette’s Happy Hour with Adam Sybera last week. He wrote this brilliant post for us yesterday:
During our Happy Hour, the journalist and analyst 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 will be our guest on Tuesday. Mamulashvili has achieved the status of folk hero, having survived multiple assassination attempts, three poisonings, and 32 years of war. Sybera will join us as a co-host for the event.
Bette’s Happy Hour, Tuesday, September 23, Noon Pacific.
Members will find the registration link below the paywall, and if you are not yet a member, please consider supporting my work and joining our community events with a paid membership.
More about Mamuka Mamulashvili and the Georgian National Legion, plus how you can help donate to their current fundraiser for military first aid kits:
Mamuka Mamulashvili — Commander of the Georgian National Legion (Ukraine):
Mamuka Mamulashvili has been at war for 32 years. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, former USSR, he is currently the Commander of the Georgian National Legion (Ukraine). Born into a military family, his father, Lieutenant General Zurab Mamulashvili, commanded one of the brigades of the Georgian army, which included his son as a young volunteer. At the age of 14, Mamuka took part in the Georgian-Russian war in Abkhazia. Towards the end of the conflict, he and his father were taken prisoner. Mamuka spent three months in captivity and was later released through a prisoner exchange program. His father was released at a later stage. Mamuka Mamulashvili fought in Chechen campaigns, fighting on the side of the Chechen independence forces against Russian troops… On April 22, 2014, Mamulashvili founded the Georgian National Legion. Just two days later, on April 24, the Legion arrived in Ukraine and began training Ukrainian volunteer formations preparing for war in Donbas. In February 2016, the Georgian Legion was formally integrated into the 25th Motorized Infantry Battalion “Kyivska Rus”. The unit maintained its own internal structure and command while continuing to conduct combat operations. In 2017, the Legion left this brigade and was transferred to other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where it continued active combat duties. In the months preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Legion actively trained civilians and volunteers. According to Mamulashvili, over 20,000 people underwent preparation within just three months. From the very first hours of the invasion, the Legion took part in the battle for Hostomel airport and in the defense of Kyiv region. Since then, the unit has remained engaged in combat operations along key frontlines.
Public Activity and Threats
Mamuka Mamulashvili frequently appears in the media, giving interviews to Ukrainian and international outlets, and participating in conferences and public forums.
Russian intelligence launched a large-scale disinformation campaign targeting the Legion, focusing primarily on the social network Twitter (X). The operation involved 32 individuals — citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Estonia, and other countries. All of them were identified and are currently under investigation by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Russian authorities placed him on a wanted list and sentenced him seven times in absentia, issuing a wide range of politically motivated charges. He’s reported multiple poisoning attempt with heavy metals, confirmed both through laboratory analysis and officially by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. His latest assassination attempt was thwarted by Ukrainian security forces. More here (with English subtitles):
Awards and Recognition
Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali, 3rd Class (Georgia)
People’s Hero of Ukraine (2015, non-governmental award)
Order “For Courage” (Ukraine)
Medal “For Sacrifice and Love of Ukraine”
More than 12 awards from the Patriarchate of Ukraine
17 awards from Ukrainian government agencies, the Ministry of Defense, and other security structures
A number of other state and non-state distinctions
In September 2025, the President of Ukraine decorated Mamulashvili and the fighters of the Georgian Legion with high state honors for their contribution to the defense of the country.
In Kyiv, the city officially opened the “Georgian National Legion” Square — the first square in the capital named after a military formation, awarded to a volunteer unit.
Artist and Civic Activity
In addition to his military role, Mamulashvili is also a painter. His works have been exhibited in Kyiv, Odesa, and other cities of Ukraine. He regards his art both as a form of personal therapy and as a public message about war and the struggle for freedom.
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.
****To help the Georgian National Legion — Ukraine — in its fundraiser for military first aid kids, you can donate via PayPal to: help2164wolves at proton.me****
A note for new members: the Happy Hour began two and a half years ago, when I noticed many Bette members in despair. I thought a weekly wellness checkin for global newsies was in order, and it evolved into a session where guests offer news from around the world. The title was always meant to be ironic, but I know I feel better when our community comes together. The Speakeasy and Founder’s Day events were added to bring great minds together to continue inspiring the labor of democracy. We also do a lot of good together, crowdfunding for important international causes and projects.
Our next Speakeasy event is this coming Sunday, with the co-founder of Open Democracy, Anthony Barnett. You can pre-register here.
Keep scrolling below the paywall for our Happy Hour registration link — hope to see you in the squares!
A private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous/gmail. 🥹
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter/producer, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
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