The GUR has refuted Fico's accusations regarding control over the "Georgian Legion."

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine responded to accusations from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, claiming that the Ukrainian intelligence allegedly controls the "Georgian Legion" and supposedly used it to organize protests in Slovakia. On February 1, the GUR denied Fico's statements and reported that there is no unit called the "Georgian Legion" within the intelligence structure.

In its statement, the GUR mentioned that it "carefully studied the allegations," as information and hybrid operations aimed at destabilizing the situation in the EU represent a serious threat to Ukraine amid its war against Russia. The accusations concerned the supposed involvement of the GUR in the protests in Slovakia through the allegedly subordinate "Georgian Legion."

It is worth noting that on January 31, Robert Fico claimed that military personnel from the "legion" and its leader Mamuka Mamulashvili were allegedly involved in large-scale protests against his pro-Russian policies. According to the Slovak Prime Minister, the "Georgian Legion" is controlled by the GUR.

"The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially states that it has no unit called the 'Georgian National Legion.' As for the International Legion of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, it is a multinational active-duty unit that directly participates in battles with Russian occupation forces at the hottest frontlines and, of course, does not conduct any hybrid activities on the territory of EU states," the GUR press service reported.

Additionally, the intelligence service stated that Mamuka Mamulashvili is not a Ukrainian military officer, has no connection to Ukrainian intelligence, and does not receive any assignments from the GUR. The intelligence service reminded that Mamulashvili terminated his contract with the International Legion back in April 2023.

"European politicians must be as responsible as possible for their words, especially regarding accusations against friendly countries, to avoid giving any grounds for hostile propaganda. We emphasize that it is Russia that continually attempts to sow discord among the countries of the Free World, discredits European politicians, interferes in democratic elections, organizes street lawlessness, and even carries out political assassinations on the territory of Europe,” the GUR press service stressed.

Protests Against Fico in Slovakia

Recall that in early January, people took to the streets to protest against the pro-Russian course of Prime Minister Robert Fico. In particular, the protesters opposed Fico's blocking of the EU's decisions regarding Russian sanctions, his stance on negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on the latter's terms, as well as his threats to Ukraine over the blockage of Russian gas transit to Europe. Thousands of people protested in several cities.

By the end of January, the protests escalated – tens of thousands of people in the Slovak capital Bratislava, as well as in Košice, Žilina, Nitra, and other cities, rallied with slogans like "Slovakia is Europe," "Don't collaborate with the Russians," and "Enough Fico."

In response to the anti-government demonstrations, Fico blamed "external influence" for the protests – specifically, Ukraine. Robert Fico stated that Ukrainians make up a third of all demonstrators and that the gatherings are organized by "non-governmental organizations funded from abroad."

The Slovak Prime Minister believes that the protests are allegedly aimed at a coup d'état. Notably, on January 30, the police in Slovakia detained a Ukrainian citizen allegedly for preparing a coup – he is currently being prepared for deportation. Juraj Krupa, a member of the opposition liberal party "Freedom and Solidarity" (SaS), stated that the case could have been fabricated.