The State Security Service responds to information about the presence of a Russian citizen in Georgia in connection with the Russian private military company "Wagner" and states that the information is not true.

"We would like to respond to the information spread in recent days about the presence of a Russian citizen in Georgia in connection with the Russian private military company "Wagner", as well as the activities of the company related to the private military company "Wagner" in Georgia.

We state clearly that this information is not true, a Russian citizen affiliated with a private military company is not in Georgia, and in recent years his movement has not been recorded at the border, we also categorically state that any organization that may be affiliated with the Russian private military company "Wagner", or pose a threat to state security in any way does not operate in Georgia and such activities are under the control of the State Security Service.

In the same context, information was spread about possible Georgian citizens living in the occupied territories, who may also have been affiliated with the private military company "Wagner" or other paramilitary units. We state unequivocally that the vast majority of the named persons are connected with the occupation regime of Abkhazia and they are not in the territory controlled by the central government. Individuals who are not affiliated with the occupation regime in Abkhazia and may hold Georgian citizenship have not been registered in Georgian-controlled territory for the past ten years.

In case any of the listed persons attempts or crosses the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia, appropriate measures will be taken against them.

Information about these individuals is made available to the special services and then the media at regular intervals. The State Security Service of Georgia has put the mentioned person under appropriate control since 2019. He is not on the territory of Georgia and will not be able to enter Georgia in the future.

Persons related to the mentioned group manage to cross not only the territory of Georgia but also different countries of the world. Appropriate measures are taken once they are identified.

In 2019, the State Security Service of Georgia received information about the mentioned person and the mentioned person left the territory.

We unequivocally state that the company related to his name does not operate in Georgia. It does not pay tax to the budget of Georgia, it does not have an official address, it does not have employees, therefore all the information that has been spread recently is an attempt to deliberately discredit the State Security Service. Such misinformation, unfortunately, causes a sense of insecurity among the population, as it gives the impression that the State Security Service is unable to identify persons associated with the military company "Wagner", which is not true", - reads the statement issued by SSG.