Monthly Review

Review of the Activities of the Russian Military Forces in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

2023 / 05 / 04

Publication:  N32 / Review period: April 1-30, 2023 /Author: Elene Mindiashvili 

Review of the Activities of the Russian Military Forces in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to the Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The purpose of the publication is to review trainings of the military forces of the Russian Federation deployed in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, as well as other important events related to the Russian 7th and 4th military bases in these regions. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the Kremlin policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.

* Note: The review does not include information about military personnel of the 4th and 7th military bases and volunteers from Abkhazia or the Tskhinvali region who are fighting in the Russian war against Ukraine.

** Note: A major part of military personnel of the 4th and 7th military bases are dispatched to fight against Ukraine. Therefore, the number of military exercises in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region has been significantly reduced; however, against this backdrop, the Armed Forces of the occupied regions are relatively active and periodically conduct various exercises. Despite the relatively passive activities of Russian servicemen in the occupied regions, we will review the activities of the Armed Forces of the de facto republics.

Abkhazia

Military Exercises

  • Servicemen of various units of the Armed Forces of the de facto republic are undergoing large-scale training which takes place in several stages. In April, the military went through three stages of the training. Initially, the main attention was paid to the complex defeat of an enemy with modern means and maintaining interaction between the units of the Armed Forces. The second stage was command-staff mobilization, in which military management bodies, reserve, ground defense units and commissariats participated. The purpose was the combat coordination of military command bodies, increasing the level of field training of personnel, improving the supply of personnel and equipment for combat purposes. The third stage was fire training in which the units of the Armed Forces also participated. The exercises were carried out at a training ground of the de facto Ministry of Defense.

The training was conducted according to the joint combat training plan of the Armed Forces of the de facto republic of Abkhazia and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Tskhinvali Region

Military Exercises

  • The Special Forces of the de facto republic, along with their Russian counterparts, underwent professional training at the Vityaz training center near Moscow. Soldiers improved the skills of possession of service weapons, provision of first aid on the battlefield, raised awareness of topography and control of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Exercise of special forces in the vicinity of Moscow

  • Personnel of the so-called Armed Forces of the de facto Tskhinvali region underwent command-staff training.
  • Servicemen of the de facto Special Purpose Battalion underwent tactical training on the topic -“Ambush.” They successfully completed all components of the training in a battlefield-like environment.
  • Command officers and unit commanders of the Armed Forces of the de facto republic underwent fire training.
  • On April 26-28, high-grade students of Tskhinvali schools passed annual mandatory fire training for the first time after a two-year hiatus. The mentioned practice was stopped during the Covid pandemic, however, according to the so-called Senior Inspector of the Education Department of the de facto Administration of Tskhinvali, it will continue.

Personnel Change

  • Personnel changes were made in the de facto Ministry of Defense. Alan Bolotaev was appointed to the position of the First Deputy to the de facto Minister, and Vefkhvia Thandelov – the Deputy Minister. Bolotaev holds the rank of Major General, and Thandelov has been an employee of the de facto Ministry of Defense since 2011.

 

After the August 2008 war, Russian occupation forces were deployed in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. In 2010, Russia signed agreements with the de facto republics of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region on the deployment of combined Russian military bases on the territories of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region for the next 49 years. The Russian 7th military base locates on the territory of Abkhazia, and the Russian 4th military base - in the Tskhinvali region. Both regions are part of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.