An investigation by iFact, a group of Georgian investigative journalists, has raised alarm over the Russian companies registered in Georgia winning state tenders, a trend that has continued since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has included firms registered in Georgia afterward.
According to iFact, 43 of more than 5,000 Russian companies registered in Georgia over the past decade continue to win state tenders. Since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, 379 such contracts worth GEL 16 million (about USD 5.9 million) have been awarded. Of that, GEL 6 million (about USD 2.2 million) went to companies that registered in the country after February 2022.
The tenders covered sectors including restaurants and food, construction, sports equipment, groceries, and hotels. Since 2022, educational institutions have led in awarding contracts to Russian companies, signing 155. They were followed by city halls and municipal bodies (83), the government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (21), ministries (23), and other public agencies (97).
“Since the start of the war in Ukraine, 32 deals worth more than half a million lari have been awarded by the National Security Council, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Ministries of Internal Affairs, Justice and Foreign Affairs to companies owned by Russian citizens,” iFact said.
Notably, 2022 saw the highest number of Russian companies registered in Georgia since 2015 in a single year. Of the 1,026 companies registered that year, 973 were set up after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Also Read:
- 07/05/2025 – Georgia Pays More for Russian Gas Than for Azerbaijani for First Time in 18 Years
- 18/01/2024 – Forbes: Georgia Leads among Countries where Russians Opened Businesses in 2023
- 05/10/2023 – Study Details Risks of Russian Business Ownership in Georgia
- 29/09/2023 – Watchdog: Georgia’s Economic Dependence on Russia Continues to Increase
- 10/03/2022 – Reports: Georgia’s Local Authorities Keep Buying Russian Products