The de facto government of South Ossetia named heart failure as the cause of Archil Tatunashvili’s death. The soldier’s body was transported to the Tbilisi administered territory only about a month after he was taken hostage, with his internal organs removed and more than 100 injuries to his body.
Tatunashvili was buried with military honors on March 24, 2018. For special civic responsibility and personal bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit.