Mkhedrioni
| Mkhedrioni | |
|---|---|
| მხედრიონი | |
Flag Of Mkhedrioni | |
| Leaders | Jaba Ioseliani |
| Dates of operation | 1989–1995 |
| Active regions | Georgia |
| Size | 1,000–7,000 (1991) |
| Opponents | Gamsakhurdia's government in exile Abkhazia Bagramyan Battalion Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus |
| Battles and wars | Georgian Civil War War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) 1991–1992 South Ossetia War War in Abkhazia (1998) |
The Mkhedrioni was a paramilitary group in the Republic of Georgia created in 1989 by Jaba Ioseliani. They saw themselves as protectors of the Georgian people and their lands, and were most known for their high-profile involvement in the Georgian Civil War and the War in Abkhazia. In 1995, the Mkhedrioni were outlawed but subsequently reconstituted as the Union of Patriots political party, however, it failed to secure registration, and soon faded into obscurity.