The Russian army will set up a naval base in Abkhazia, a pro-Russian separatist region of Georgia, the leader of this territory announced Thursday as Ukraine intensifies its attacks against the Russian Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
“We have signed an agreement and, in the near future, the Russian military navy will have a permanent anchor point in the Ochamchire district” on the Black Sea coast, Aslan Bjania told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
The Kremlin spokesperson declined to comment. “I absolutely cannot comment,” said Dmitry Peskov.
Georgia, on the other hand, condemned this announcement, which it sees as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This is a “new provocation aimed at legitimizing the illegal occupation of Abkhazia”, declared its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing “concern”.
Moscow and Georgia have complex relations. A short but bloody war opposed them in 2008, against a backdrop of tensions linked to the Georgian desire to get closer to the West.
The current Georgian government, which denies being pro-Russian, has nevertheless adopted a more flexible position towards Russia, while the opposition accuses it of wanting a rapprochement with the Kremlin, fueling a political crisis.
At the end of the 2008 war, Moscow recognized the independence of two separatist territories in the north of the country, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and has since maintained a military presence there.
Aslan Bjania, who was due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, said the aim of the agreement was to improve the defense capabilities of both Russia and Abkhazia.
“This type of cooperation will continue,” he told the newspaper Izvestia.
The opening date of this base was not indicated, but the administration of the Ochamtchiré district informed the Russian agency Ria Novosti that the port infrastructures were already “ready” to welcome it.
Strikes in Crimea
The announcement comes as for weeks, Ukraine has increased attacks against Russian installations in Crimea, a strategic peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014 and where the Russian Black Sea fleet is based.
kyiv claimed responsibility in particular for the destruction of anti-aircraft defense systems, a shipyard and two ships located there.
At the end of September, kyiv carried out a spectacular strike against the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, in the city of Sevastopol, claiming to have killed around thirty officers there.
Russia, which almost never gives information on its military losses, had for its part communicated a report of one person missing following the bombing.
Crimea is at the heart of Russia’s military posture for its assault on Ukraine, both to supply the troops occupying southern Ukraine and to carry out missile strikes from the sea.
The Ukrainian armed forces want to both disrupt the Russian supply chain and end Russia’s military control over the Black Sea.
According to the independent Russian media The Bella significant part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet even left its base in Sevastopol, due to the threat of Ukrainian bombing.
The site, classified as a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities, is based on satellite images shared by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
The Black Sea also represents an essential issue for Ukrainian grain exports, the country being one of the world’s major producers.
Russia withdrew in July from a deal that allowed their export and threatened ships sailing in the Black Sea by bombing Ukrainian ports.
But kyiv has nevertheless set up a maritime corridor and cargo ships loaded with wheat or other foodstuffs now circulate through its ports.