The U.S. Department of State confirms my earlier investigation for The Telegraph on the Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine - particularly the use of the choking agent 'Chloropicrin' - and imposes additional sanctions against entities involved.

Rugby is our game, Georgians say. A scrum formed by protesters defending each other against water cannon used by riot police last night in Tbilisi.

Georgians have been demonstrating remarkable courage in defending the country from becoming a Russian puppet state for over two weeks now. Anti-Russia protests persist.

The West must adopt a bolder strategy to pressure the Georgian Dream including the use of targeted sanctions.

Ukraine and Georgia share a common struggle called Russia and both will prevail!

4:35 AM Tbilisi 🇬🇪

The riot police assaulted Publika’s journalist near the Parliament who was covering the protest

4:35 AM, Tbilisi 🇬🇪

A large number of riot police moved in front of the Parliament. The police will likely try to disperse remaining protesters there. Stand with Georgia!

📸Tabula

4:15AM, Tbilisi 🇬🇪

The riot police are using water cannons beside the Parliament on Chichinadze Street.

📸Tabula

'The legislation and Georgian Dream's anti-Western rhetoric put Georgia on a precarious trajectory.... We stand with the Georgian people and their right to have their voices heard.'

I will reiterate the US and the EU should devise a robust strategy for supporting 🇬🇪 people.

3AM in Tbilisi.

The riot police are using water cannons to disperse the protesters. Tens of thousands of Georgians remain in front of the Parliament.

The drone image is taken at 2AM in Tbilisi.

The determination of the Georgian people is remarkable! 🇬🇪🇪🇺

2:30 AM in Tbilisi.

Tens of thousands of Georgians remain in front of the Parliament protesting the Russian-style foreign agents bill.

The government believes it can exhaust the protesters, Georgians are proving the government wrong! 🇬🇪🇪🇺

📸Tabula

'I've beat cancer twice, and you think you can defeat me?' Ledi Megrelishvili, a protester from Tbilisi 🇬🇪 

Even though the Ministry of Interior claims to not have used rubber bullets against the protesters. Here is the evidence that the riot police in fact did fire them

Impressive scenes from Tbilisi 🇬🇪

How can the government win this battle with the Georgian people?!

📸MtavariTV

Protesters left an inscription “Russians! OMON!” on the gate of the Special State Protection Service of Georgia

The unbreakable spirit of the Georgian people. Despite violent crackdowns, the government still can’t crush the freedom-loving Georgians. Stronger together 🇬🇪🇪🇺

'This is not how an EU-aspirant country behaves, and this is another example of Georgia de-railing from its Euro-Atlantic trajectory,' a State Department spokesperson tells me

#GeorgiaISEurope
#NoToRussianLaw

It’s 00:36AM in Georgia, tens of thousands of Georgians remain near the Parliament defending the country from the Russia-style authoritarianism. Georgia belongs in the European Union 🇬🇪🇪🇺