The bodies of two Georgian volunteers, Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani, killed in the war in Ukraine, were transferred to Georgia earlier today.Â
Early this morning, family members and dozens of residents gathered at the Tbilisi International Airport to pay their respects to Georgian nationals who joined forces to help Ukrainians fighting against the Russian troops in Ukraine.
Moreover, Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s president, was also present to offer her condolences to the families of the slain volunteers.
As per the reports, three volunteers, identified as Bakhva Chikobava, Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani, succumbed to the injuries during the war, but the Georgian government has managed to bring back the bodies of two Georgian volunteers, Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani.
Beriashvili’s body was moved from the airport to Tbilisi’s Temka Cemetery, while Ratiani’s body was returned to his family.
Both Georgian volunteers who were slain in Ukraine will be buried with military honours.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani was killed in combat in Ukraine on Friday, and earlier on Saturday, the death of the third volunteer was reported.
The volunteers were slain on March 18 in a clash near the city of Irpin, close to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially confirmed their deaths with Giorgi Zakarashvili, Georgia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, who stated that the Georgian side worked with competent Ukrainian organisations to arrange the evacuation of two Georgians’ bodies.
Bakhva Chikobava’s body has yet to be returned to Georgia, despite being the third Georgian volunteer killed in the conflict. Chikobava was killed in a battle in Mariupol, Ukraine, which is now under siege.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, stated that volunteers from 52 countries have arrived in Ukraine to join the fight against Russia.
Since Russia launched a war on Ukraine on February 24, at least 953 civilians have been killed, and 1,557 others have been injured, according to the UN, which also noted that the number of people fleeing the country had surpassed 3.5 million.
