A Conspiracy Theory About Georgian Snipers In Ukraine Is Spreading Again
On February 16 and 17, a video by blogger Archibald Mekeshi circulated on social media (1, 2), in which he claimed that the current crisis in Ukraine began back in 2014 during the Maidan events, allegedly organized by “neocons,” with the involvement of Georgian snipers. According to him, in a documentary by OAN, Georgians confess that Mamuka Mamulashvili, the leader of the “Georgian Legion,” and former President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered them to shoot at both civilians and police during the Maidan protests. Mekeshi also asserts that the BBC made a documentary on this topic.
The claim that Georgian snipers participated in the Maidan events is a conspiracy theory and is not supported by evidence. The OAN documentary relies on unverified and dubious sources, including accounts from former espionage convict Tristan Tsitelashvili, which casts doubt on its credibility. The BBC’s investigation does not confirm the involvement of Georgian snipers in the Maidan events, and Mamuka Mamulashvili states that he was not in Ukraine at all until April 2014. The investigation into the Maidan events indicates that the shootings were most likely linked to forces controlled by the Yanukovych regime and the Russian security services.
-
What Do We Know About the OAN Documentary?
In his video, Archibald Mekeshi discusses a 2019 documentary produced by One America News Network (OAN) titled “The Ukraine Hoax: Impeachment, Biden Cash, Mass Murder.” The film claims that Georgian snipers were involved in the 2014 Maidan events in Kyiv. Three Georgians featured in the documentary – Giorgi Bezhitashvili, Tsezar Bajaladze, and Zurab Inashvili – state that they were hired as snipers during the Maidan protests and received orders from Mikheil Saakashvili and Mamuka Mamulashvili, the leader of the “Georgian Legion.” The documentary contains several inaccuracies:
- Brian Christopher Boinger, identified in the film as an “American soldier,” was actually in North Carolina during the Maidan events, as confirmed by his passport records and tax receipts.
- Mamuka Mamulashvili was not in Ukraine until April 2014, while the Maidan protests ended in February 2014.
- The statements made by Giorgi Bezhitashvili, Tsezar Bajaladze, and Zurab Inashvili about being snipers following Mamulashvili’s orders are not corroborated by any reliable sources.
Additionally, the OAN documentary includes an interview of the filmmaker with Tristan Tsitelashvili, who was accused of espionage by the Georgian authorities. Tsitelashvili claimed that Georgian snipers were indeed involved in the Maidan events, but his claims are not supported by evidence.
It is worth noting that in 2017, the Italian TV channel Canale 5 also produced a documentary titled “Ucraina: Le Verità Nascoste” (“Ukraine: The Hidden Truth”), in which three self-proclaimed Georgian snipers alleged that they had fired during the Maidan protests. However, fact-checking revealed that the information presented in this documentary did not correspond to the truth and contained numerous factual inaccuracies. Mamuka Mamulashvili also stated that he had not even crossed the Ukrainian border before April 2014, that is, months after the Maidan events ended in February. Nevertheless, pro-Kremlin media quickly spread the documentary’s main claims, citing former espionage convict Tristan Tsitelashvili as a source.
The author of and narrators in the OAN documentary is Michael Caputo, who served as an adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and later worked at the U.S. Department of Justice. Caputo’s possible ties to Russian information operations were investigated by the so-called Mueller Commission.
One America News Network (OAN) is often described as a far-right media outlet that has repeatedly spread false information. For example, in 2018, an OAN correspondent reported from Syria that there was no evidence of chemical weapons use – a claim that aligned with the Kremlin’s official position. For further details, see Myth Detector’s articles:
In February 2014, the Maidan protests in Kyiv escalated into violent clashes, resulting in the deaths of approximately 90 people. The most tragic days were February 18–20, when mass shootings took place. On February 18, more than 20 people were killed, including several demonstrators who had been beaten by special forces. Two days later, on February 20, over 50 protesters were shot dead. That same week, 17 police officers also lost their lives, some of whom died from gunshot wounds.
Ukraine’s new government blamed the events on President Yanukovych’s regime and Russian agents. At the time, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov stated that 12 members of the elite special forces unit “Berkut” were suspected of killing 17 people. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s newly appointed head of the Security Service, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, claimed that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) was involved in both planning and executing the operation.
However, alternative theories also emerged. Some sources suggested that both protesters and law enforcement officers had been killed by the same type of weapons, indicating a possible pre-planned provocation. Yanukovych insisted that he had not given any orders to open fire and blamed radical opposition groups for initiating the violence. Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, also claimed that the snipers were coordinated by the far-right organization Right Sector.
British experts conducted an on-site investigation of the suspected sniper positions and identified four key locations from which gunmen could have opened fire. These locations were Khreshchatyk Street, Kosciolna Street, the Ukraina Hotel, and the National Bank building. Ukraine’s new government claimed that snipers deployed on Khreshchatyk and Kosciolna Streets were positioned by Yanukovych’s special forces. However, the Ukraina Hotel was on the territory under opposition control at the time, raising additional questions.
Video and photographic evidence obtained by the BBC clearly show that Yanukovych’s security forces were armed with firearms and were shooting directly at protesters. However, BBC journalists also found evidence suggesting that some armed individuals were present on the opposition’s side, although their numbers were significantly lower compared to the special forces.
One of the most significant discoveries concerned the wounds sustained by both protesters and police officers. Ukraine’s then-Minister of Health, Oleh Musiy, stated that their injuries were similar, suggesting that the same group may have been shooting at both sides. This further fueled suspicions that a provocation could have taken place during the Maidan events. The BBC also obtained documents confirming that on February 18, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) ordered the mobilization of special forces and decided to take violent measures to suppress the protests. However, the investigation did not find direct evidence that Yanukovych personally coordinated the snipers’ actions.
A BBC journalist also recorded an interview with an anonymous individual who was on the protesters’ side and admitted to participating in the shooting. He claimed that he aimed at people’s legs to avoid killing them and also fired at police officers positioned on the roof of the “Globus” shopping center. According to him, these shots forced the officers to retreat.
The BBC’s investigation does not support the claims made in OAN’s documentary, which alleges that Georgian snipers participated in the Maidan events or that the shootings were orchestrated by Saakashvili and Mamulashvili. The BBC report also notes that many Ukrainians believe that the provocations during the Maidan protests may have been organized by Russia.
The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.
Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.
