Former Georgian Prosecutor General Otar Romanov-Partskhaladze has become commander of the Russian volunteer unit “Georgievsky,” which is taking part in the war against Ukraine.
Romanov-Partskhaladze said the unit was established by like-minded individuals who support what he described as the “unification of our peoples and countries” and the defence of "traditional family values," Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.
He said the unit’s name refers to the 1783 Treaty of Georgievsk, under which the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti came under the protection of the Russian Empire.
Romanov-Partskhaladze said he had decided to fight in the war against Ukraine voluntarily and described the unit’s main objective as continuing what he called a struggle against an “evil” that threatens Russia and the wider world.
Romanov-Partskhaladze served as Georgia’s prosecutor general in 2013 before resigning after opposition figures revealed that he had previously been convicted of theft in Germany. He later moved into business.
The United States sanctioned him in September 2023. According to the US State Department, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) used Romanov-Partskhaladze to influence Georgian politics in Moscow’s interests, with FSB officer Alexander Onishchenko allegedly helping him obtain a Russian passport.
In October 2023, then-Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili signed a decree revoking Romanov-Partskhaladze’s Georgian citizenship. After moving to Russia, he adopted the additional surname Romanov.
In December 2025, a Georgian court issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Romanov-Partskhaladze over allegations that he organised the murder of businessman Levan Jangveladze. An international arrest warrant was also issued. Romanov-Partskhaladze has denied neither guilt nor responsibility in the case, according to the information provided.
By Sabina Mammadli
