In 2008, Russia militarily occupied two breakaway regions of Georgia. Now in the war against Ukraine it can benefit from this and activate idle capacities, including a forgotten port.
Dilapidated Soviet-era buildings overgrown with lush subtropical vegetation and a dilapidated beach promenade offer picturesque views – Ochamchire on the Black Sea is a seemingly forgotten place in Abkhazia. The region belongs to Georgia under international law, but has been occupied by Russian troops since the war with Russia in 2008.
After the first war for Abkhazia’s independence in the early 1990s, less than half of the town’s former population of more than 20,000 remained. The Georgians living there fled and have not returned since.
However, something stands out in satellite images that are freely accessible on Google Earth, for example. To the north of the town, bright light blue roofs can be seen on a fenced complex with parking spaces, lawns and a soccer field. It is a naval base of the Russian border troops, which belong to the domestic intelligence service FSB.
Commercially used buildings, coal loading facilities and barges can also be seen on the harbor basin. Behind it, black coal dust covers a wide area with tracks from heavy trucks.
The coast of Abkhazia in the eastern part of the Black Sea is of strategic importance for Russia.
Russian Black Sea Fleet Under fire
Now Abkhazia could become an alternative location for ships from the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Their main base was previously in Sevastopol on the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. She has been in trouble there over the past few months. Ukrainian drones damaged more than a dozen ships and dry dock facilities in Sevastopol.
In mid-September, Ukraine attacked the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, killing several high-ranking officers. Afterwards, numerous media outlets reported, based on satellite images, that ships were being relocated to the smaller eastern port of Feodosiya and to Novorossisk on Russian territory. But Ukrainian drones are said to have attacked Russian warships there too.
Naval base in Abkhazia
That’s why a statement by the de facto president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bshaniya, made people sit up and take notice at the beginning of October. After meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, he told the Russian newspaper Izvetiya that he had concluded an agreement with Russia to establish a permanent Russian Navy base in the Ochamchire region.
Not only is the distance to Ukraine even greater. In terms of international law, the coastal section also lies on the territory of the state of Georgia, which is not involved in the war. In addition, the eastern Black Sea can be controlled from there, where Georgia’s port cities are located, which are important for the transport of goods past Russia and Iran. The EU also wants to lay a data and energy cable through the Black Sea to the South Caucasus.
Criticism and concerns at NATO
Accordingly, the Abkhazian president’s announcement caused outrage. Georgia’s government spoke of a gross violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg demonstratively supported Georgia: “We strongly support Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Of course, we do not accept that these breakaway territories can be used by Russia to set up military bases,” he said on November 14 in Brussels .
The move also shows how far Russia is willing to go to achieve its military goals in Ukraine. But it is also clear that Ukraine has successfully attacked naval facilities in Crimea and that Russia is therefore looking for alternatives, said Stoltenberg. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly warned of further destabilization of the Black Sea region.
Long-term action by Russia
Russia can now rely on Abkhazia as a possible retreat for its war fleet because the infrastructure is already in place.
Already in the early days of the Soviet Union, a naval base was built in the Abkhazian coastal town of Otschamchire. Even after the end of the Soviet Union, Russia retained military bases in the South Caucasus, which it claims as an offshore security zone.
Only after long negotiations did the last Russian soldiers withdraw from the bases in the port city of Batumi and another location in Georgia in 2007.
But Russia did not remain without a military presence in this region for long. Just a few months later – in August 2008 – Russian troops advanced into Georgian territory again.
The “Five-Day War” was triggered by then Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili with an order to attack the breakaway region of South Ossetia. But this was preceded by open military conflicts as the climax of an escalation that had begun years before.
Less than two weeks after agreeing to a ceasefire, Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent and concluded defense agreements with them.
Port expansion necessary
The Russian armed forces and border troops then established a large number of new bases and bases in both areas. As early as 2009, the then Abkhazian president announced the construction of a naval base in Ochamchire. In 2017, the naval base of the Russian border troops was put into operation there.
However, the harbor basin is small and shallow, which is why it is not yet suitable for larger warships. Only boats and corvettes anchor there. The question is therefore whether construction work has already begun in the past few weeks.
With this question in mind, the research organization Bellingcat evaluated satellite images from various time periods. “We have surveyed historical satellite images and have not found any major or significant changes in the military portion of the Otschamchire port since the beginning of 2022. If there is indeed an intention to move much larger ships there, then the port would likely need to be expanded and dredged. On “No equipment for this can be seen in the satellite images yet,” said Bellingcat editor Maxim Edwards tagesschau.de with.
However, there are initial indications that the commercial part of the port is to be expanded, as the Abkhaz leadership announced in October.
Evasion of sanctions
Apart from the military aspect, Abkhazia could play a role in circumventing the sanctions imposed on Russia. What is particularly advantageous is that it is an area that is neither internationally recognized nor controlled.
In April, Abkhazia’s customs chief said that 2,700 tons of cargo from Russia had been transported by train through Abkhaz territory and shipped to Turkey. According to the medium “Echo of the Caucasus”, he said that Abkhazia’s trade turnover with Russia increased significantly in the first months of 2023. This could become easier in the future and increase further if Abkhazia becomes a member of the state union with Russia and Belarus, as announced.
For years, Russia has been putting pressure on the Abkhazian leadership to open the area to foreign, i.e. Russian, investors. This met with massive resistance from the population, who insisted on their independence. She fears that her territory will be sold off if, for example, the real estate market is opened to Russian citizens.
Businessman close to the Kremlin invests
Despite strong criticism, the de facto parliament in Sukhumi recently ratified a deal with a Russian businessman for an investment project for the airport, which has been in decline since the 1990s. According to media reports, the investor is said to be a businessman close to the Kremlin.
It would be an approach typical of the Russian power apparatus, including in military projects. However, like other major projects, these are always accompanied by suspicions of corruption. This not only makes them more expensive. Their implementation can also take a long time.
In any case, Russia’s apparently growing involvement in the eastern Black Sea region suggests that Russia is now resorting to the opportunities that it opened up for itself through military means in 2008.