Nika Shanava

Nika (Nikoloz) Shanava was a 21-year-old Georgian volunteer fighter who joined the Ukrainian forces after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Together with his brother, he traveled to Ukraine in March 2022 to fight on the Ukrainian side.

He was killed on 9 April 2022 near Izium in the Kharkiv region during a Russian artillery attack while taking part in combat operations against Russian forces.

Because of his young age and his decision to volunteer in defense of Ukraine, Shanava became one of the most widely recognized Georgian casualties of the war and is remembered in both Georgia and Ukraine as a symbol of solidarity, courage, and sacrifice.