Georgia Investigating Social Media Posts Claiming Mistreatment Against Russian Tourists

Aug. 6, 2026 Tbilisi, Georgia. Dagmara Dombrovska / pexels Law enforcement in Georgia on Wednesday announced a criminal investigation into alleged “sabotage” over a series of social media posts claiming systematic mistreatment of Russian tourists, with authorities in the South Caucasus country claiming the posts are part of a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the local economy. Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) said foreign-controlled “bot accounts” spread false claims on X boasting about urinating and spitting in food served to Russian tourists. Foreign media outlets later amplified the posts, the agency added without identifying the outlets in question by name. On Saturday, the pro-Kremlin Telegram news channel Mash, which is widely believed to have ties to Russian security services, shared screenshots of the X posts alongside the caption: “Don’t look at this if you’re planning to visit Georgia.” “The goal of this targeted effort is to undermine Georgia’s economic interests by creating a false perception through disinformation that Russian tourists face a hostile environment in Georgia,” the SSSG said in a Facebook post. Under Georgian law, sabotage carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. The SSSG said investigators are still working to identify the individuals and potential funding sources behind the X accounts. According to Georgian media, the X accounts used Georgian names written in Cyrillic script — an unusual choice given that the Georgian language uses its own unique alphabet distinct from the Cyrillic script used by Slavic languages. One X user who claimed to have urinated in food served to Russian tourists accessed the social media platform via the Russian App Store, though the account’s location was listed in the United States. While the account was created in 2011, it made its first post only on July 29. The SSSG probe comes two days after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused “pseudo-liberal” opposition groups of spreading anti-Russian sentiments on behalf of foreign interests. It also follows a recent scandal that erupted after a Georgian man was arrested and fined for hitting a female Russian-speaking tourist at a hotel in the city of Telavi. Read more about: Georgia , Tourism Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more In Photos: Russians Fleeing Putin's Draft Queue at Georgian Border Nearly two weeks into Russian President Vladimir Putin's "partial" mobilization for the war in Ukraine, crowds of Russians seeking to escape the draft... Georgians Grudgingly Accept Growing Russian Presence Many Georgians are still fervently opposed to the country's sudden post-war influx of Russian expats. Russian Flight Ban Could Cost Georgia $300M, Experts Say The Kremlin said that Russia will lift the flight ban as soon as Georgia “resumes a non-Russophobic course.” Thousands of Russians Evacuated From Turkey Thousands of Russians Evacuated from Turkey The Moscow Times Over 450,000 Russians were evacuated from Turkey on Sunday following...