Remains of Georgian Fighters Killed in Ukraine Arrive in Tbilisi

A large crowd of mourners gathered at the Tbilisi International Airport on Thursday, March 24, as the bodies of two Georgian fighters killed in Ukraine were repatriated, local news reported.

Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani were fighting on the Ukrainian side in the Ukraine-Russia war, in a detachment of foreign volunteers and were killed by Russian bombing, Interpressnews said.

Video shared by Katie Shoshiashvili shows two hearses carrying the soldiers’ remains draped in Georgian and Ukrainian flags. Music plays as some of the large crowd can be heard shouting and weeping.

Georgia’s president Salome Zourabichvili, who attended the procession, said she “was proud to be among thousands of Georgians paying tribute to the freedom fighters killed in Ukraine and returned to their homeland.” Credit: Katie Shoshiashvili via Storyful