Georgian Legion Commander: we moved to another brigade within Ukrainian Armed Forces
The "Georgian Legion" taking part in the military operation of the Ukrainian Army in the Donbas did not leave the Ukrainian Armed Forces; rather, the unit moved to another brigade, said the Legion’s commander, Mamuka Mamulashvili, RBC news agency reports.
"[The issue] was an internal conflict with the leadership of the 54th brigade, which we left. We moved to another brigade with a more competent commander. The ‘Georgian Legion’ will not leave Ukraine until the war is won and until the territories occupied by Russia return to the jurisdiction of Ukraine," Mamulashvili said.
He also added that the Legion’s departure from the 54th Brigade is not connected to political conflict between Mikheil Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
"There are absolutely no political motives. I made a statement that we will participate in political processes in Georgia, where we are citizens," Mamulashvili stressed.
In early January, the "Georgian Legion" announced its withdrawal from the 54th Mechanized Brigade due to the incompetence of the brigade’s command. The catalyst was an operation conducted on December 16 that resulted in the injury of 11 Georgian "legionaries" and fighters of the 25th battalion.
After that, the 54th Brigade stated on its Facebook page that "there never was" a unit by the name of "Georgian Legion" serving in the Ukrainian army.