Georgian authorities have detained Russian nationals Vladimir Dubovsky and Alina Savelyeva, accusing them of entering the country unlawfully. Although some sources have described the pair as anti-Putin, pro-Ukraine activists, Dubovsky has also been dogged by allegations that he cooperated with Russian security agencies.
The Ministry announced their arrest late Thursday after the group Unity of Ukrainians of Historical Lands - co-founded by Dubovsky - reported that “unknown individuals kidnapped the couple and drove them away,” and that their location was unclear. The group added on Telegram that “Volodymyr and Alina are leaders of the Green Klyn – My Homeland movement.”
According to the ministry, the two avoided official border checkpoints when entering Georgia. They now face charges under Article 344-2 of the Criminal Code for group illegal border crossing, an offense that can lead to expulsion with a two- to ten-year entry ban or a four- to five-year prison sentence.
Officials, who emphasized that fighting “criminal migration” is a priority, also said the couple had repeatedly requested asylum in Georgia, but their applications were denied, with courts later upholding those decisions. “Ultimately, on November 12 of this year, the court issued a detention order for both individuals,” the ministry stated.
A 2022 investigation by Meduza, an exiled independent Russian outlet, described Dubovsky—who reportedly arrived in Georgia in 2021—as an anti-war activist and former coordinator for a Navalny regional office who had helped Russians fleeing to Georgia after the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian human rights groups note that Dubovsky is wanted in Russia, and in December 2024, Rosfinmonitoring added him to its list of individuals marked as being prosecuted on terrorism-related charges.
At the same time, Dubovsky has been accused within Russian opposition and activist circles of fraud and of collaborating with Russian security structures. Egor Kuroptev, a Russian-Georgian journalist and former Free Russia Foundation director, cautioned on Facebook against portraying the situation as an abduction of anti-Kremlin dissidents.
“Don’t mix up the real beatings, torture, and threats faced by protesters in Tbilisi—and the genuine risks to Russian activists in Georgia—with the case of a man who has for years been repeatedly accused by the Russian opposition of working for the security services and of dishonesty,” Kuroptev wrote.
He added that Dubovsky and Savelyeva crossed the Armenian-Georgian border illegally in 2023, requesting asylum only afterward, calling the incident “yet another provocation.”
“Is it any wonder that neither I nor anyone in the opposition defended him and everyone is staying silent? There you have it,” he commented.
A March 2023 report by the opposition-leaning broadcaster Mtavari Arkhi labeled Dubovsky a “Russian criminal in Georgia,” alleging he was residing in the country unlawfully and criticizing Georgian authorities for not taking action. The segment featured statements from Russian journalists and members of the Russian opposition community in Georgia who accused him of fraud, embezzlement, and acting as an “agent” for Russian security services.
