Russia sets eyes on Georgia in uncontrolled appetite for territory

The past three years have brought some of the most significant news from Eastern Europe to the world, with Russia's war on Ukraine now entering its fourth year as of February 24, 2025.

Little is reported about other countries that share a border with Russia and have been facing the threat of losing territory to Vladimir Putin’s expansion appetites.

Russia’s thirst for more and more territory is scaring Georgia a small Eastern Europe country of not more than 4million people on the eastern shores of the Black sea. The country at the intersection of Europe and Asia, is described by geographical societies as a former Soviet republic that’s home to Caucasus Mountain villages and Black Sea beaches. It’s famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating back to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti. 

Georgia has been facing the threat of silent invasions and encroachment of its territory which sources now say may lead to full occupation by Russia if Ukraine falls.

Through well informed sources in Georgia The Standard has learnt that Russia’s nefarious territory grab is accompanied by deaths, abductions, detentions, human rights abuses and disruptions to economic activities of farming communities. At the Khurcha-Nabakevi crossing point, for instance de facto Abkhaz border guard Rashid Kanji-Oghli shot and killed Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria. Despite being sentenced in absentia by Georgian courts, the perpetrator remains free in occupied Abkhazia. In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia was responsible for the killing.

The humanitarian situation took an even darker turn with incidents of killings. On November 6, 2023, Russian forces fatally shot 58-year-old Tamaz Ginturi near St. George's Church in Kirbali while he was there to pray. He was denied medical assistance and later died, while another villager, Levan Dotiashvili, was illegally detained.

Georgia’s tribulations begun six years before annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014 which Ukrainian authorities have considered as the beginning of Russia’s provocation that matured into a full - scale invasion on February 24 2022.

Sources that spoke to The Standard from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi have helped us establish that Putin’s Russia is bent upon getting more territory in neighboring states and that in 2008 Moscow invaded part of Georgia's territory claiming it despite the country being an independent state that broke free from the claws of communism when the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) collapsed in 1991.

We learn that Russia has not given the country peace since then. In the 2008 invasion Georgian forces sought to reclaim its territory in the regions of Abkhazia and South Osetia that is also called Tskhinvali region through actions that resulted in a twelve day war, now referred to as Russo-Georgian war. The full scale war ended after then French President Nicholas Sarkozy sealed a peace deal that however did not succeed to completely pull Russia out of the Georgian territories. It is reported that Russia had managed to excite separatism in the two regions that are recognized by the United Nations as Georgian territory.

Anton Vatcharadze who heads the Memory and Disinformation Studies at the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi told The Standard that Russia has, even after the 2008 war, in recent times, been systematically encroaching on Georgian land through a process known as "borderization,"  - Russian forces and their separatist allies construct fences and barriers, gradually moving artificial "borders" deeper into Georgian territory.

“The current situation is not promising” Said Vatcharadze “The Russia-Ukraine war has had major implications for Georgia. Many fear in the country that if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, Georgia could be next.”

Davit Katsavara a Georgian who leads a monitoring agency that takes stock of Russian excesses said Russia’s intervention in Georgia did not start in 2008—it began much earlier. The problem according to him dates back to the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Russia initiated military intervention to Georgia and provided military and political support to separatist movements in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (so-called “South Ossetia”), leading to the violent Russian-Georgian war and genocide of 2008.  

“In August 2008, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Georgia, which resulted in the occupation of 20 per cent of the country’s territory.  After the war, Russia unilaterally “recognized” Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region as independent states and established permanent military bases there”  

Katsavara who we learn has been part of the volunteer force in Ukraine fighting Russian aggression there said Putin is seeking new territories in Georgia for several reasons among them geopolitical interests. That Georgia is moving closer to NATO and the European Union, which Russia sees as a direct threat. There is also the case of strategic location of  Georgia which is a crucial transit corridor for energy pipelines connecting the Caspian region with Europe. 

Director of Georgia’s De-occupation Movement Lana Ghvinjilia told The Standard that when Russia formally invaded Georgia in 2008 the world didn't pay enough attention perhaps because of its small size. The repercussions of that sin of omission by the international community were that the world was now faced with an encouraged and excited Vladimir Putin who moved to grab the Ukrainian territory of Crimea six years later in 2014. 

“Today Russian troops and their military bases are still located throughout the occupied territories in Abkhazia and Samachablo,” Said Lana “It makes up 23 per cent of Georgian land.”

The population of Georgia living alongside occupation lines is threatened and terrified, says Lana, hundreds are kidnapped by occupation forces.

“People are beaten and forced to pay money to be freed. There are known killings and torture as well.”

The humanitarian impact extends beyond physical displacement. Thousands of Georgian citizens can no longer freely access their farmlands, pastures, and even family cemeteries. Many families who depend on agriculture and livestock have faced serious economic hardship as their means of subsistence have been cut off.

Living in proximity to the barriers, with foreign troops regularly patrolling nearby, has created a persistent sense of insecurity among local populations of affected areas. The continuous process of encroachment keeps evolving and affecting more people over time, making it a silent but growing humanitarian crisis.

At least 34 Georgian villages along the administrative boundary lines have been directly affected by borderization; Russia’s strategy of moving boundaries further deeper into Georgian lands- the village of Khurvaleti has had families lose access to orchards and farmlands that had sustained them for generations. The situation in Gugutiantkari became particularly dire in 2019 when new barriers left two homes stranded on the wrong side of the artificial boundary, cutting families off from their property and livelihood. In Atotsi, ongoing fence installations have severely restricted residents' movements within their own community and limited their access to essential resources.

Meanwhile, in Mejvriskhevi and Jariasheni, Russian forces have been observed marking trees and land parcels, signaling plans for further barrier construction that would impose additional restrictions on these communities.

Abductions and Human Rights Violations

IDFI’s Vatcharadze said the borderisation process has been accompanied by frequent abductions of local residents, particularly in villages near what he describes as the Administrative Boundary Line.

“Russian and de facto forces detain citizens under claims of "illegal border crossing," often while villagers are simply attempting to cultivate their agricultural lands”

“In villages like Khurvaleti, Bershueti, and Nigozeti, residents have been detained while working on their land.” Added Vatcharadze

The abductions have been causing physical and psychological trauma and preventing locals from fully utilising their land, further worsening their economic conditions. The fear created by such human rights violations has caused community fragmentation and growing distrust, weakening social bonds.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s problems appear to have been aided by the country’s politics, according to Lana. Even while the country was resisting Russian silent encroachment the situation worsened in 2013 when it got a pro-Russian government calling itself the Georgian Dream. Emerging from the opposition the coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, defeated President Mikheil Saakashvili’s ruling United National Movement (UNM), gaining a majority in parliament, and formed a new government.

“That victory made everything easier for Russia” Said Lana. “With the help of Russian propaganda and money for falsification of elections they are still in power. Today Russia is installing barbed wires along areas of occupation increasing it little by little during.” 

Both local authorities and international organisations have expressed concern about the humanitarian effects of the crisis, which demonstrates how borders can be changed through small, gradual actions rather than just through open warfare.

In December 2023, Georgia was granted EU candidate status, marking a historic step toward integration. Western countries, including the US and EU, have continued to support Georgia politically and economically in the last 15 years. However, the international community has failed to pressure Russia into withdrawing from occupied territories.

The October 2024 general elections in Georgia faced significant controversy, with Western countries not recognizing their legitimacy. International observers and opposition parties in Georgia have raised concerns over voter suppression, electoral fraud, and lack of transparency in the electoral process. Allegations of manipulation by the ruling party Georgian Dream have sparked protests and calls for a re-evaluation of the election results. As a result, EU and US officials have expressed disappointment over the situation, questioning the country's commitment to democratic values and reform. This has led to increased political instability and diplomatic tensions, further complicating Georgia’s aspirations for European integration even as Russia’s threat of full occupation of the country looms large across its northern border.