Publication:  N37 / Review period: August 1 – 31, 2024 / Author: Arsen Araqelov

Review of the Activities of the Russian Military Forces 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 Kremlin policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.

*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. We will review the activities of the Armed Forces of the de facto republics against the backdrop of relatively passive activities of Russian servicemen in the occupied regions.

Abkhazia

Military Exercises

• On August 20-22, in accordance with the 2024 training plan of the so-called Armed Forces of the de facto Republic, special tactical exercises were held with the logistics units of the reserve brigades under the leadership of the Chief of Staff of the Logistics Department. The training was conducted for the unit mandatory servicemen.

Position Changes

• On August 20, the Deputy Head of the Border Control Department of the Border Division of the Russian Federal Security Service, Lieutenant General Rafael Daerbaev, presented a new Head of the Division, Major General Sergey Shchedrin, to the Prime Minister of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab.
• Shchedrin's predecessor was Andrey Kudimov, who was appointed to this position on January 21, 2021, replacing Aleksey Trubetski.

Studying in Russia

• This year, 26 cadets from the occupied Abkhazia were addmitted to the schools of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Recruits entered the Krasnodar University of the MIA, and the Volgograd, Omsk and Nizhegorod MIA academies. Before departing for Russia, the cadets gave the oath to the de facto Minister of Internal Affairs, Robert Kiut. On August 6, the Acting Head of the so-called Security Service, Dmitry Kuchuberia, met with the Abkhaz cadets who started their studies at the institutions of the Russian Federal Security Service.

About the Military Port in Ochamchire

• The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Sergey Shamba, gave an interview to the Russian News Agency TASS.  According to Shamba, „no (Russian) naval base is planned in Ochamchire.“ As he added, border boats are stationed in the port and the de facto republic is ready for any turn of events. According to Shamba, the Black Sea is again becoming a region of tension as NATO naval ships and reconnaissance aircrafts are increasingly appearing there, causing dissatisfaction and caution in the de facto government. In August, the Western media actively wrote about the construction of new infrastructure in the port of Ochamchire. On October 4, 2023, after a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Aslan Bzhania, the de facto President of the occupied Abkhazia, in Sochi, it was reported that a permanent basing point for the Russian Navy will be established in Ochamchire.

Tskhinvali Region

As per a decision of the de facto Acting Minister of Defense, Inal Sabanov, the so-called Defense Forces are exceptionally active in training in the current months. The press service of the de facto Ministry reported that based on the experience of recent military conflicts, changes are being introduced in the methods of personnel training which also affects the training frequency. Conscripts are also involved in military exercises which was less observed in the past years.

Military Exercises

•         On August 1, special force fighters of the so-called Defense Forces underwent tactical shooting training. As the de facto Agency reports, shooting is practiced at training points simulating combat situation in urban areas and other terrain conditions. Tactical shooting, the Agency clarified, involves firing in emergency situations under extremely limited time conditions, as well as the need to open fire while moving, quickly changing the direction of fire from different positions at both close and long distances.

Special Force Fighter of the Defence Forces During Shooting

·         On August 2, personnel of the Special Forces Battalion underwent training. Fighters conducted a covert mass artillery attack on conditional enemy targets and then retreated. The training took place in mountainous and forested terrain and lasted for two days. The fighters used different types of weapons and military equipment, and were limited in time to complete combat tasks.

Special Forces Fighters with Machine Guns

It should be noted that the training for the military personnel of the Special Purpose Battalion of the so-called Ministry of Defense lasted for a total of 2 months. The decision to conduct the training was made by Inal Sabanov. As per the press service of the “Agency,” the so-called Ministry of Defense evaluated the progress of the 2-month training and the fighters of the Special Purpose Battalion received a positive assessment.

Special Purpose Battalion Driver with a Hand-Held Anti-Tank Grenade Launcher

•         As part of practical training on combat coordination of squads, the honor guard company practiced defensive and offensive actions with live fire at the military shooting range of the so-called Ministry of Defense of South Ossetia. As part of the training, the military personnel used automatic firearms, anti-tank grenade launchers and other military equipment.

·         At the training ground of the so-called Ministry of Internal Affairs, fighters of the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) of the de facto Agency underwent firing and tactical training using Yarygin pistol MP-443. The Agency announced that in the near future, SOBR fighters will undergo identical training with new Kalashnikov Assault Rifle AK-15, which the Russian Ministry of Defense put into operation in 2018. The weapon was modernized in 2020, and it is designed for special forces. As per Sabanov's decision, SOBR fighters will undergo firing training every month.

Fighters of the Special Rapid Response Unit of the So-Called Ministry of Internal Affairs

·         On August 7, in one of the gorges of the de facto republic, a two-week camp training for fighters of the Special Forces Battalion of the so-called Ministry of Defense started. The fighters underwent a course of fire training, tactical camouflage and setting up a camp in mountainous terrain. According to the de facto Agency, the training also included reconnaissance studies. On August 12, Sabanov visited the training camp site and personally observed the training progress. 

Inal Sabanov with Fighters of the Special Forces Battalion

·         On August 9, officers of the military command bodies of the so-called Ministry of Defense underwent weekly field training. After firing training, the officers completed a multi-kilometer march with standard weapons. The weekly training of the command staff officers is being held on Sabanov’s order.

·         On August 16, practical firearm training was conducted for the personnel of a separate training company, staffed with conscripts, of the so-called Ministry of Defense. The conscripts as part of freelance artillery crews had previously been trained by senior servicemen, and at Sabanov's order, practiced shooting from the Soviet self-propelled artillery unit - 2S1 Gvozdika and indirect aiming from mortars.

Freelance Artillerymen of the So-Called Ministry of Defense

·         On the 16th anniversary of the de facto republic’s recognition by Russia, the Security Forces of the region conducted a joint exercise. A special group of the so-called State Security, special forces of the so-called Ministry of Defense, the Special Purpose Mobile Unit (OMON) and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) of the so-called MoIA, and the Operational Unit of the so-called State Security Committee participated in the exercise. According to the simulation training scenario, enemy sabotage and intelligence groups broke through the state border and hid in the forest. The de facto President, Alan Gagloyev, observed the course of the training.

Alan Gagloyev together with the Employees of the So-Called Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs

·         On August 27, practical training was conducted for conscripts. As part of the training, several units were formed, specializing in artillery equipment, mortars, anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons.

·         Training of artillery units at the educational and material base of the training center of the so-called Ministry of Defense continues actively. According to the Agency, military contractors with artillery experience successfully develop artillery fire control skills. Much attention is paid to changing firing positions, camouflage, and evacuation of combat equipment after completing the combat task. As per Sabanov's decision, conscripts were also engaged in the training. Sabanov wants artillery training to become progressively difficult for recruits, with enlisted privates having a military specialty after their service.

·         Recruits who successfully enrolled in educational institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defence in Tskhinvali, underwent comprehensive general training at the training center of the so-called Ministry of Defence in Tskhinvali. As part of the “Young Fighter” course, the recruits adapted to military work for two weeks. They completed their training on August 19.

Ossetian Recruits

Theoretical Classes

·         As part of the implementation of the professional training plan for officers of the so-called Ministry of Defense, theoretical classes in various military disciplines continue. On August 2, training on the topic “Technical support for a battalion in preparation for and during an offensive” was held for the officers.

Ossetian Officers

·         On August 7, command staff of the rifle brigade of the so-called Ministry of Defense conducted a complex theoretical training for the officers.

New Kits

·         The latest tactical army first aid kits were purchased for employees of the Special Forces of the so-called Ministry of Defense, training center instructors, military personnel of the medical service and freelance medical instructors. The basic first aid kit includes dressing material, tourniquet, thermal pack, decompression needle, frameless stretcher, etc. According to the agency, first aid kits will be issued to all military personnel in the near future.

Army First Aid Tactical Kits

Taking an Oath

·         On August 23, recruits of the so-called Ministry of Defense, who were successfully admitted to Russian military schools, took a solemn oath.

Solemn Swearing-in Ceremony

Meetings and Visits

·         Inal Sabanov participated in the Army-2024 International Military-Technical Forum which was held in the Moscow region. In addition to a delegation of the de facto Ministry, military delegations of 82 states took part in the forum. 

Participation in the Russian Military Aggression in Ukraine

After the start of Russia’s full-scale military aggression in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, representatives of the occupied regions of Georgia have been fighting on the side of Russia. Soldiers from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region are participating in the war both as servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces and as volunteers. Most of them have been involved in combat since the beginning of the war, and some have been fighting in Ukraine since 2014.

According to information confirmed in open sources, from February 24, 2022, to present, in Ukraine died a total of 55 militants (including one combatant in August 2024) from the Tskhinvali region, and 26 militants (including 2 militants in August 2024) from Abkhazia. For more details about the militants from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region who died during the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, see the interactive map.

A fighter from the Tskhinvali region who died in August is Romik (Romeo) Pliev. Information about Pliev's death was spread on August 13, 2024. He was a serviceman of the 4th Russian military base stationed in the region. Pliev was buried in Tskhinvali on August 15. His funeral was attended by members of the de facto government and employees of the Russian Embassy in the region. As noted at the funeral ceremony, “as soon as military operations began in the Donbas region, Romeo immediately headed to the front.” Pliev was 44 years old and had 3 children.

Romik (Romeo) Pliev

A fighter from Abkhazia who died in August is Daniel Tuzhba, nicknamed Baka. Initially, information about Baka’s death was spread by family members who reported that he died in the Donetsk region. For outstanding heroism in combat operations, Tuzhba was posthumously awarded the highest award of the Black Sea Cossack Troops of Abkhazia - the 1st Class Golden Cross of St. George's. Tuzhba was buried in Sokhumi on August 29. Other details about Tuzhba are unknown at this stage, and judging by the published photo, he must have been a member of the Russian Armed Forces.

Daniel Tuzhba - Baka

Another dead fighter from Abkhazia is Alexei Maliuta. The news of Maliuta's death was disseminated on August 27, 2024. Maliuta was originally from Bichvinta, Abkhazia. He was born on October 12, 1990, and studied at the 2nd Secondary School named after Agrba. On August 17, 2024, Maliuta was gravely wounded after a combat drone attack launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Tokmak, the Zaporizhzhia region. On August 26, as a result of the injuries, he died in the Moscow military hospital. For outstanding heroism in combat operations, Maliuta was posthumously awarded the highest award of the Black Sea Cossack Troops of Abkhazia - the 1st Class Golden Cross of St. George's. He was buried in Bichvinta.

Alexei Maliuta

It should be noted that in August, mercenaries of the Pyatnashka and Sarmat volunteer battalions fighting in Donbas were also sent to the Kursk district to repulse an attack of the Ukrainians. The commander of Pyatnashka is ethnically Abkhaz Akhra Avidzba, and the commander of Sarmat – “Che Guevara,” who is originally from the Tskhinvali region. Many representatives of the occupied regions are members of both battalions. According to reports in the propaganda telegram channels, Sarmat together with the Arbat battalion recaptured Nechaev, a settlement of the Kursk district.

Propaganda Events

On August 2, Alan Gagloyev awarded the Defender of the Fatherland medal to Bagir and Irbek Bichenov, a father and son, who participated in Russia's military aggression in Ukraine.

 

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 comprise the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.