DISINFO: Ukrainian snipers are preparing a colour revolution in Georgia
SUMMARY
A crowd is starting to gather in Tbilisi for a rally of the pro-Western opposition. Let's see how the US is going to overthrow the legitimate government in Georgia. The West is trying to destabilise the situation in Georgia, snipers trained in Ukraine are arriving there to organise provocations during mass protests.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, pre-emptively framing protests in Georgia as a Western-sponsored colour revolution. This claim is made in the context of the 2024 parliamentary elections (see the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission here).
There is no evidence for this claim. Pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as "colour revolutions" instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West.
This tactic was particularly well-practiced in Ukraine during the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv falsely portrayed as a coup d'état led by US and the West, trying to deflect Russia’s responsibility for its unprovoked military aggression.
Back then, pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets claimed that the shootings on Kyiv's Maidan were carried out by Georgian snipers - a claim that has been debunked many times. It was established that during mass protests in Ukraine in the fall-winter of 2013-2014, security forces used prohibited weapons to disperse citizens. Moreover, the ex-head of the SBU Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, during interrogation in the case of high treason against ex-President Yanukovych in the Obolonsky Court of Kyiv on February 7, 2018, confirmed the presence of armed Russian special forces at the Maidan.
Now Russia is actively promoting the same well-known narrative. Only this time it is not about Ukraine, but about protests in Georgia. The protests began on October 28, 2024, when thousands of people came out to Tbilisi to protest against the official results of the parliamentary elections, which gave the ruling Georgian Dream a victory. See Georgia: Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Parliamentary elections.
Mythdetector also debunked the claim of Ukrainian snipers, (English version to follow).
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on "Twists and turns: Georgian Dream rhetoric on the EU", “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”.
See similar disinformation cases claiming that The US plans a colour revolution in Georgia after October elections, that The US plans a colour revolution in Georgia after October elections, that The US is preparing a “Tbilisi Maidan” in Georgia, that The West is seeking a coup d'etat in Georgia, that US and EU wants to orchestrate Euromaidan-like scenario in Georgia at parliamentary elections, that The US plans to change power in Georgia through protests to be blamed on Russia, that West plans to orchestrate Georgia maidan, install government to confront Russia or that West behind Georgia protests to turn the country into a second front against Russia.