Publication N28 / Review Period: January 1 – February 29, 2024 / Author: Elene Mindiashvili

Monitoring of the Situation at the Occupation Line is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review the situation and ongoing important developments near the occupation line in the Tskhinvali region. The publication will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, representatives of media and international governmental or non-governmental organizations,  and other people who are interested in the mentioned topic.

IPRM 117th Meeting

On February 13, the 117th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), co-chaired by the Acting Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Tibor Kozma, and the Acting Chairman of the OSCE, Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Viorel Mosanu, was held in the village Ergneti, Gori municipality. This was the first meeting this year. Read more about the 116th meeting here.

Detained and Released Citizens

Release of Petre Kalashnikov

On February 8, a Georgian citizen Petre Kalashnikov was released from illegal imprisonment. On September 15, last year, the occupation forces arrested him on charges of crossing the so-called border near the village of Odzisi (Dusheti municipality). According to the Ossetian news agency Res, he was arrested on September 14.

Release of Petre Kalashnikov. Source: ssg.gov.ge

Detention of Four Georgian Citizens

In January-February, the occupation forces arrested four Georgian citizens. One of them was detained in the vicinity of the village of Akhmaji (occupied Akhalgori district) on January 15, two citizens, Nika Mamastarashvili and Ivane Lutidze, near the village of Knolevi (Kareli municipality), on February 15, and the last - in the vicinity of the village of Takhtisdziri (Kareli municipality), on February 28. Information about the identity of the two citizens and the circumstances of their detention has not yet been disclosed in open sources.

As of March 9, a total of nine Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention. Only the following names are known: Soso Dvalishvili, Lasha Khetereli, Giorgi Meladze, Dimitry Korinteli, Nika Mamastarashvili, and Ivane Lutidze.

Soso Dvalishvili - the occupation forces detained him at a Perevi (Sachkhere municipality) section of the occupation line on January 16, 2023.

Lasha Khetereli - the occupation forces arrested him for the seventh time in July 2023. He periodically moves to the occupied territory to visit family members living there.

Georgiy Meladze and Dimitry Korinteli - the occupation forces arrested them near the occupation line in the vicinity of the village of Adzvi (Gori municipality) on November 24, 2023.  

The interactive map of illegal detentions prepared by the Rondeli Foundation please see here.

“Borderization” and Activities Along the Occupation Line

New Fire Trench near Gremiskhevi

According to Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement - Power is in Unity, during a patrol on January 4, he spotted a new fire trench around the occupation forces checkpoint near the village of Gremishkevi (Dusheti municipality).

New Ditch Near Orchosani

On January 19, David Katsarava disseminated information about a new trench-type ditch which he spotted while patrolling near the village of Orchosani (Akhalgori municipality).

New Ditch Near Orchosani. Source: David Katsarava's Facebook Page

New Fire Trench Near Sakorintlo

According to information which David Katsarava disseminated after patrolling on February 14, the occupation forces dug a new fire trench around a checkpoint near Sakorintlo (Kaspi municipality).

New Ditch Near Orchosani. Source: David Katsarava's Facebook Page

MUROM-M in the Vicinity of Sakorintlo

The occupation forces installed MUROM-M standalone mobile video surveillance and thermal imaging system in the village of Sakorintlo. According to David Katsarav, there are two such systems on the occupied territories of Georgia: at the military base in the occupied village of Akhmaji and at the checkpoint near the village of Sakorintlo.

MUROM-M Surveillance Complex in Sakorintlo. Source: David Katsarava's Facebook Page

Patrolling with Counter-Drone Systems

According to David Katsarava, in January-February, the occupation forces replenished their weapons with LPD-801 coutner-drone systems.The Russian-made LPD-801 disables an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Occupation Forces while Patrolling. Source: David Katsarava's Facebook Page