Georgia Opens Sabotage Probe Into 'Anti-Russian Tourism' Disinformation Campaign
By Messenger Staff
Friday, August 7, 2026
Georgia's State Security Service (SSSG) has launched a sabotage investigation into what it describes as a coordinated online campaign using fake accounts to spread claims that Russian tourists face an unfriendly environment in the country.
Emzar Gagnidze, head of the SSSG's Anti-Corruption Agency, claims the campaign was "controlled from a foreign country and supported from Georgia" and was aimed at "harming Georgia's economic interests."
According to Gagnidze, fake accounts on X circulated false stories, including claims that Georgian citizens abandoned Russian tourists in a forest or intentionally contaminated food served to them at restaurants. He said the posts were later distributed in a coordinated way by a foreign-registered online media outlet with an audience of "many millions," without naming the outlet.
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the campaign was an act of sabotage against Georgia, accusing unnamed actors of creating fake content and using non-existent identities to portray the country as unsafe for Russian visitors.
"Absolutely false content is being created on social media, non-existent people are talking as if there is a negative environment for Russian tourists in Georgia," Kobakhidze told journalists.
He said Georgia remained open to all tourists and that authorities would work to protect the country's economic interests.
Commenting on the SSSG investigation, Kobakhidze said those responsible for actions against Georgia's national interests would face legal consequences.
"Everyone should know that if someone commits sabotage against Georgia, everyone will be brought to justice," he said. "It is very important that this investigation be brought to the end."
Russian citizens remain one of Georgia's largest groups of international visitors, with official data showing they accounted for the highest number of visits among foreign nationals in recent reporting periods.
