Colonel Lado Gamsakhurdia, commander of the “Caucasian Legion” fighting in Ukraine since 2022, has been appointed defense minister of the restored government of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the first president of Georgia. The announcement was made on social media by Gamsakhurdia himself, who currently serves in the Georgian National Guard.
In his post, Gamsakhurdia stated that “the de jure government of the Republic of Georgia, led by Zviad Gamsakhurdia, which was overthrown in 1992 following armed conflict and Russian interference, but never lost its legal status, has resumed its activities on the territory of Georgia as of September 5, 2025. The de jure Minister of Defense of Georgia is Colonel of the National Guard of Georgia, Lado Gamsakhurdia.”
Background and political context
Lado Gamsakhurdia is a Georgian volunteer fighter and public activist, known as the founder and commander of the Caucasian Legion, an organization of volunteers operating alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In December 2024, he was convicted in absentia in Russia and sentenced to 18 years in prison, after being placed on an international wanted list.
In 2020, he co-founded the civic and political movement “Round Table – Free Caucasus,” which advocates against Russian influence across the South Caucasus. Three years later, in 2023, he became head of the Military Committee of the international organization “Caucasian Union.” He joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in March 2022 and established the Caucasian Legion two months later — a volunteer formation uniting fighters who undergo training before joining different combat directions.
Revival of the de jure parliament in Tbilisi
In early September, the last legally elected parliament from the era of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia resumed its activities in Tbilisi. Lawmakers restored the work of the Gamsakhurdia government and issued appeals to the Georgian people, to international leaders, and to organizations calling attention to the issue of political prisoners.
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgia’s first democratically elected president, was ousted in a coup led by former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, then backed by Russian security structures. The return of the parliament and government loyal to Zviad Gamsakhurdia, at a time when the current Georgian leadership is widely viewed as aligned with pro-Kremlin oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, is being interpreted by some political observers as a potential step toward restoring Georgia’s genuine independence and sovereignty.
