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.
