Georgia: Grigol Giorgadze, Deputy Minister of Defense and Deputy Commander of the Defense Forces visited the Heroes’ Square to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Battle of Gumista. He was accompanied by the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Joni Tatunashvili.
The Battle of Gumista in the Abkhazian War was one of the successful military actions by Georgian soldiers. The war took place on 15-16 March, 1993 along an eight-kilometer front along the banks of the Gumisti River.
The two delegates laid a garland at the memorial to honour the fighters who died in the battle of Gumista. Veterans and soldiers who fought in the battle were also attending the memorial service.
It is to be noted that the Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Georgian Parliament, the Director of the State Service for Veterans’ Affairs, and the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia were also present at the Heroes’ Square.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia shared a post on their official Facebook page on 16 March, 2025. The post shared glimpses of the memorial service.
Battle of Gumista
The battle was a clash between Georgian armed forces and Abkhaz separatists, who were supported by Russian military equipment. This battle is considered one of the gory and blood-stained battles of the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict.
The Russian Air Forces were the first to attack Georgian battalions and dropped a bomb, causing casualties and panic. Following this, the Abkhazian units launched an attack with a motive to capture Sokhumi (a region in Georgia).
However, the attack failed despite the careful execution, the Abkhazian forces suffered great losses that caused panic in their ranks. The forces retreated themselves, leading to a major accomplishment for the Georgian forces.
The battle featured air attacks, shooting, and intense hand – to – hand combat. The battle led to deaths of many soldiers.
