DISINFO: Protesters in Georgia got their weapons with help from Ukraine
SUMMARY
Georgia’s State Security Service reported the discovery of a cache of weapons and explosives intended for a sabotage operation in central Tbilisi on October 4. The agency stated that a Georgian citizen obtained the materials under instructions from a member of a Ukrainian armed group.
RESPONSE
Following Georgia’s local elections in early October 2025, protests erupted across the country amid allegations of irregularities and democratic backsliding. There is no publicly verified or independently corroborated evidence to support the claim that protesters were tied to weapons or planning an armed uprising. While the demonstrations did result in some clashes with police, there is no indication that protesters were armed. Georgia has a longstanding tradition of civil protest, including recent mass mobilisations in defence of democratic values, free speech, and European integration.
The narrative suggesting an armed plot, widely amplified by pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets, serves several strategic purposes for Moscow. First, it seeks to delegitimise legitimate protests by linking them to extremism. This is a familiar tactic used by authoritarian and hybrid regimes: branding protesters as “terrorists” or “coup plotters” in order to erode public support and justify repression.
Second, the narrative paints Ukraine as a hub for illegal arms and destabilising activity. This aligns with broader Russian state messaging that frames Ukraine as lawless and overrun by extremists and echoes a recurring narrative about Ukrainian weapons flooding the black market across Eastern Europe. By implying Ukrainian involvement, the narrative aims to portray Ukraine as a source of instability and to undermine international military support for the country.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that weapons sent to Ukraine end up in the hands of terrorists in Africa, Latin America and Middle East or that Hamas uses NATO weapons sold by Ukraine.