On May 15, 2026, two Georgian citizens, who were unlawfully detained by the Russian occupation forces near the village of Tsitelubani, Gori Municipality, are now free and have returned to territory under the control of the central Georgian government. The State Security Service of Georgia confirmed the information.

"The central government has actively employed all necessary measures available to the central government in securing the release of the illegally detained Georgian nationals, including the utilisation of the `hotline` operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM).

We continue to work diligently to secure the release of all Georgian citizens unlawfully held in the occupied territories", - says the agency.