Publication:  N8 / Review period: April 1-30, 2021 / Author: Ani Zirakashvili

Review of the Russian Military Forces’ Activities in Abkhazia and the Tkshinvali 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 activities of the Russian military forces in the occupied regions of Georgia.

Russian Military Forces in Abkhazia

Military exercises

Units of the 7th military base of the Russian Federation in Abkhazia participated in various military exercises in April:

• A reconnaissance unit completed exercises at the Tsebelda military training ground. The servicemen went through a renovated one km long route and overcame 23 obstacles in a difficult terrain. The exercises involved over 60 units of combat equipment.
• A reconnaissance unit performed combat shootings from standard weapons and destroyed over 500 targets of a conventional enemy. The exercises were held at the Tsebelda military training ground and involved over 200 servicemen and up to 30 units of military equipment.
• Radio-electronic warfare specialists destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles of a conditional enemy. The servicemen used over 500 combat and special equipment, including the Zhitel and Krasukha radio signal suppression systems. 
• Motorized infantry completed planned tactical exercises at the Gudauta, Tsebelda and Nagvalou military training grounds. The exercises involved up to 1500 military servicemen and the Ka-52 Alligator helicopters.
• Motorized infantry units simulated an attack of a conventional adversary and worked out new methods of combat shooting. The exercise involved over 1000 military servicemen and up to 300 units of combat equipment.
• Artillerymen developed defensive and offensive warfare skills. The exercise involved over 1000 soldiers and about 300 units of combat equipment, including the BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers, the D-30 howitzers and the 2C12 Sani mortars.
• As part of exercises at the Nagvalou military training ground, up to 200 artillerymen discovered and destroyed camouflaged command points of a conditional enemy with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Artillery units carry out exercises at the Nagvalou military training ground. Source: Ministry of Defence of Russia

• Radio-electronic warfare specialists suppressed communication and navigation systems of a conditional enemy and transmitted the coordinates to artillery units. The exercise was held at the Nagvalou military training ground
• Servicemen completed standards in the RGD-5 grenade shooting. They destroyed targets at a 25 m distance. The exercises were held at the Tsebelda, Nagvalou, Gudauta military training grounds.
• Up to 700 servicemen of a reconnaissance unit carried out exercises at the Tsebelda and Nagvalou military training grounds. Servicemen destroyed a conditional enemy from 300 m to 1000 m distance, as well as developed the skills of stealthy advance to firing positions and covered a 3 km route.
• Military servicemen carried out control shooting  exercises at the Gudauta and Nagvalou military training grounds. The exercises involved over 2000 servicemen and up to 500 units of weapons and combat equipment, including the AK-74 machine guns, the Akatsiya 152 mm self-propelled howitzers, etc.
• Tankmen passed a control check at the Maykop military training ground (the Krasnodar region, Russia). The T-72B3 crews destroyed targets at 1600 to 2000 m. The exercises involved about 500 tankmen and over 100 units of military equipment.
• Grenade launcher operators carried out exercises at the Nagvalou and Tsebelda military training grounds. They destroyed mobile and static targets (combat vehicles of a conditional enemy) located at up to 350 meters. The exercises involved more than 1,500 military personnel and over 500 units of weapons and combat equipment, including the RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launchers, the PG-7VL grenades, etc.
• Anti-aircraft missile units repulsed a UAV attack of a conditional enemy. The exercises involved over 1500 military personnel and 500 units of weapons and military equipment.
• A military vehicle maintenance unit underwent a control check. The servicemen passed various standards and demonstrated the skills of shooting from standard weapons. The control check involved over 1,500 military personnel and more than 500 units of weapons and military equipment.

Joint Exercises

• Reconnaissance units are participating in a special training course in the mountains, which is held in the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania (Russia). Servicemen will learn camouflage techniques, survival and other skills, as well as overcome mountain routes at a maximum altitude of 2700 m.
• Anti-aircraft missile units participated in exercises  which were held in the Astrakhan region (Russia). Servicemen carried out combat firing from standard weapons and anti-aircraft missile systems. The exercises involved up to 1000 military personnel and over 300 units of weapons and military equipment.
• Tankmen participated in joint exercises, which were held at the Maykop military training ground (the Krasnodar region, Russia). The T-72B3 crews passed the standards of combat and special trainings, as well as completed tactical tasks. The exercises involved about 1500 servicemen.
• Anti-aircraft missile units carried out exercises at the Ashuluk military training ground (the Astrakhan region, Russia). As part of the tactical exercises, servicemen completed combat shooting from standard weapons and destroyed air targets. The exercises involved up to 1000 military personnel and over 300 units of weapons and military equipment.

Other Events

• Preparations started for a parade dedicated to the 76th anniversary of Victory Day which will be held on May 9. The military servicemen participating in the parade have already been vaccinated with the Sputnik V Russian vaccine. Over 15,000 military personnel from the Southern Military District will participate in the parade and over 400 units of weapons and military equipment will be on display.
• As planned, up to 500 conscripts of the spring call-up will join the military base. The recruits will undergo a combined arms training course and take the military oath. They will also go through a psychological examination, as well as fill out special questionnaire and write a test.
• Servicemen of the 7th military base and soldiers of the de facto Ministry of Defense spruced up memorials of the Great Patriotic War. Restoration was carried out for over 30 monuments, graves, and memorials.
• The Yunarmiya cadets will take part in the all-Russian photo competition - the History of Heroes Among Us. The photo competition is being held within the framework of the First Russian Festival of Cinema and Internet Content.
• The heating season at the 7th military base ended on April 15. Specialists of the housing and communal services checked the readiness of buildings and public utilities for the summer operation.

Russian Military Forces in the Tskhinvali Region

Military exercises

Units of the 4th military base of the Russian Federation in the Tskhinvali region took part in various military exercises in April:

• Reinforced companies used quadrocopter mini-drones to destroy a conditional enemy. Motorized infantry, artillery and tank units also participated in the exercise which involved about 450 servicemen and over 60 units of weapons and military equipment.
• Motorized infantry carried out exercises at the Dzartzemi military training ground. Military servicemen completed over 100 standards and demonstrated the skills of driving of armored vehicles. The exercise involved over 2,000 servicemen and up to 500 units of weapons and military equipment.

Motorized infantry carries out exercises at the Dzartsemi military training ground. Source: Ministry of Defence of Russia

Other Events

• The vaccination is completed at the 4th and 7th military bases. Military personnel, their families and civilian personnel of the bases, received both components of the Spunik V Russian vaccine against the coronavirus. The vaccination was voluntary and was conducted with written consent.
• A total of seven military servicemen of the de facto Ministry of Defense took part in the Sayan March competition, which was held within the framework of the 7th International Army Games (Army-2021). The competition took place at the Ergak military base in the Krasnoyarsk region (Russia) on April 14-17. The participants covered a 20 km route consisting of eleven stages and performed 12 special tasks. Military servicemen of the de facto Ministry of Defence of Abkhazia also participated in the competition.
• RCB (radiation, chemical, biological) protection specialists carried out disinfection. Over 130 buildings and the surrounding area of the military base were treated with a special disinfectant solution.
• Preparations for the May 9 parade are underway. Over 200 military servicemen of the Russian 4th military base will take part in the parade and up to 30 units of combat equipment will be on display.

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 is located 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.