Eradze Gela Geogrievich (ერაძე გელა)

In April 2022, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on the recruitment of mercenaries and their participation in an armed conflict against the commander of the 'Georgian National Legion' Mamuka Mamulaishvili and 24 Georgian citizens. One of the defendants in the case was 30-year-old Georgian citizen Gela Erazde. According to Russian law enforcement, in March 2022, Eradze arrived from Poland to Ukrainian territory through the checkpoint at the Polish-Ukrainian border 'Krakovets'. After that, he joined the "Georgian National Legion", underwent military training aimed at acquiring skills in handling combat weapons, training in strategy, tactics, and methods of action necessary for participating in an armed conflict, and was provided with personal firearms, ammunition, uniforms, and special equipment. Until June 2023, Eradze participated in combat operations against military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. For the specified actions, the mercenary received a reward of more than 1 million rubles. On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic found Gela Erazde guilty and sentenced him in absentia to 14 years in prison to be served in a strict regime penal colony. On September 11, 2025, the First Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction left the sentence unchanged.