In April 2020, the new Coronavirus pandemic affected ongoing processes in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. Due to the new Coronavirus spread threat, guests from Russia could not attend inauguration of the new „President“ of Abkhazia. Military exercises have not been suspended, however number of measures have been taken at the Russian military bases to fight the new Coronavirus. The article provides an overview of the major events that took place in April 2020 in connection with the Kremlin policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region.

April 2020 Important Developments Shortly:

• Inauguration of the new „President“: Due to the new Coronavirus pandemic, from Russian side only Russian „ambassador“ to Abkhazia attended inauguration of the new „President“ of Abkhazia.
• Territorial dispute: Russia claims Abkhazian village territory.
• Military exercises: Number of measures carried out to prevent the new Coronavirus spread at the military bases.
• Cooperation in the field of law enforcement: Salary increase for the representatives of law enforcement agencies in the Tskhinvali Region will be financed by Russia.
• Budgetary assistance: In the Tskhinvali Region, employees of separate category in budgetary field will receive increased salaries from May.
• Investment programs: In Java, apartments of the house built under the investment program have been allotted.
• Cooperation with the regions of Russia: Karachay-Cherkessia sent 50 tons of sugar to Tskhinvali.
• „Soft power“: „Memory Garden“ campaigns were held in Abkhazia
• The new Coronavirus and relations with Russia: In April, to prevent the new Coronavirus spread, crossing of de facto border with Russia has been restricted.

Inauguration of the New „President“

On April 23, the inauguration of the newly-elected de facto President Aslan Bzhania was held in Abkhazia. Due to the new Coronavirus pandemic, the event was held without invited guests from other countries. Russian „ambassador“ to Abkhazia Aleksey Dvinianin attended the inauguration and delivered a speech. After the event, Bzhania and Dvinianin held a bilateral meeting and discussed implementation of joint measures to fight Coronavirus within the framework of inter-agency cooperation.

Territorial Dispute

According to existing information, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has changed the border delimitation in Krasnodar Krai to secure tourism development and enhance border security in the region. As a result, territory of the highland village Aibga fell under Russia, one part of which was under Russian control while the other part belonged to de facto government of Abkhazia. Earlier, Russia took over a small part of the village.

Military Exercises

Military exercises at the 7th military base in Abkhazia

• Servicemen of vehicle repair unit, for the first time, evacuated damaged equipment with the help of modern repair-evacuation vehicles (РЭМ-КЛ).
• Units of de facto armed forces of Abkhazia together with motorized infantry of the 7th military base carried out joint exercise, destroying more than 1,000 targets and using up to 30,000 ammunition.
• Reconnaissance unit practiced to overcome obstacles in mountainous, wooded and coastal areas. Servicemen passed exams in hand-to-hand combat and in the use of intelligence, control and communication modern complexes - „Стрелец“.

The 7th military base other news

• Sappers have started military polygons clean-up from unexploded ordnances. Totally 12 hectares will be cleared at Nagvalou and Tsebelda military polygons.
• More than 900 units of military and special equipment preparation for the operation in summer has been started.
• Specialists checked the readiness of the military base technical buildings and infrastructure for Summer.
• Every fifth conscript at the military base, who has completed the term of compulsory military service, will continue military career on contract. Compared to the previous year, the number of military servicemen with similar decision is 5% higher.
• Military base bakers and cooks have baked more than 3,000 Easter cakes and dyed more than 5,000 Easter eggs in red.
• Spartakiad started at the military base to identify the best sports unit.

The 7th military base and the new Coronavirus

• Field hospital has been deployed on the base territory. The hospital is designed to receive more than 200 patients in case if military personnel get infected with the new Coronavirus.
• Radiation, chemical and biological protection unit for the first time carried out disinfection of the facilities in the vicinity of the military base, such as checkpoints and social infrastructure. Military transport, military equipment, the servicemen personal vehicles were specially sanitized as part of additional preventive measures.

Military exercises at the 4th military base in the Tskhinvali Region

• Communication specialists established closed satellite communication channels between the subscribers of different military units, at a distance of 1000 km. The exercises were held at the Russian Southern Military District military polygons, including  in Abkhazia as well.
• As part of tactical-special exercises, military police destroyed conditional saboteurs in urban environment

The 4th military base other news

• Engineers of the Southern Military District have launched clean-up of territory from UXOs in the North and South Caucasus, including the Tskhinvali Region. The activity aims at preparing military polygons for the summer trainings.

The 4th military base and the new Coronavirus

• Specialists of the radiation, chemical and biological unit carried out disinfection at the unit territory. In total, 150 buildings in Tskhinvali and Java have been disinfected.

Cooperation in the Field of Law-Enforcement

On April 30, 2020, in Moscow, de facto ambassador of the Tskhinvali Region to Russia Znaur Gasiev and the Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov, the Ministry curator to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, signed additional protocol to the bilateral agreement signed on November 14, 2017. The agreement envisages co-financing costs for material and technical support, monetary compensation and gradual increase of social guarantees for the representatives of the Tskhinvali Region law enforcement agencies. The protocol expired on December 31, 2019. The signing of the new protocol was delayed due to the new Coronavirus spread threat.

Budgetary Assistance

According to de facto Minister of Finance of the Tskhinvali Region Aza Khabalova, the separate category employees in the budgetary field will receive increased salaries from May. Salary gradual increase has been in progress since 2016 under the agreement with Russia on Alliance and Integration. Salary increase applies to the employees of the following fields: education, healthcare, culture, physical education, agriculture and media. In 2020, salaries will be equal to the level of the salaries of the North Caucasus District of Russia in 2016, in 2021 – to the level of 2018 and in 2022 – to the level of 2020. This year average salary increase will be 1,000 RUB.

Investment Programs

In Java District, the Tskhinvali Region, 18 apartments were allotted in the new three-storey municipal house. The house was built in 2019 under the Russia-funded investment program promoting socio-economic development of the Tskhinvali Region. The house construction consumed 65 million RUB. Under the new investment program for 2020-2022, two similar multi-apartment houses will be built in Java.

Cooperation with the Regions of Russia

The Karachay-Cherkess Republic has sent humanitarian aid to the Tskhinvali Region. 50 tons of sugar will be distributed as social assistance to the certain categories of population

Russian „Soft Power“

In April of 2020, due to the new Coronavirus spread threat, part of the events were held online in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The Representations of the Federal Agency for CIS States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region were mainly busy organizing events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II.

Russian language online courses started in Abkhazia

The Agency Representation in Abkhazia, has launched Russian language courses online. The online tutorial is implemented through the ZOOM platform. On April 15, the first online lesson was attended by 21 students.

„Memory Garden“ campaign

On April 9, memorial ceremony dedicated to the Soviet poet and prose writer, World War II participant Chichiko Jonua was held at the N13 school in Sokhumi. Trees have been planted as part of „Memory Garden“ international campaign. The Agency Abkhazian representation and embassy representative Maksim Litvinov also participated in the event. „Memory Garden“ campaign was also held on April 10, at the secondary school in the village of Agudzera.

„Georgievsky Ribbon“ campaign

Representation of the Agency in Abkhazia has started „Georgievsky Ribbon“ campaign. As part of the campaign, „Georgievsky Ribbons“ will be handed over to the representatives of various governmental and non-governmental organizations. Personnel and the cadets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already received „Georgievsky Ribbons“.

Medals to war veterans

The World War II veterans living in Abkhazia received medals and the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s congratulation from the representatives of the Russian „embassy“ to Abkhazia. There are 46 veterans in Abkhazia.

The New Coronavirus and Relations with Russia

Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region closes „borders“ with Russia

Due to the new Coronavirus spread threat, de facto governments of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, have applied more restrictions to entry to Russia. According to the April 7 order of de facto President of Abkhazia, de facto border on the river Psou connecting to Russia has been closed for all categories of citizens for the period of April 8-20. The Tskhinvali Region has declared April 8-20 as non-working days, closed all borders, including de facto administrative border with Georgia and de facto border with Russia. Traffic restrictions to Russia for the period of April 5-12 were imposed on April 4, however on April 10, restrictions have been extended until May 1 and prolonged on April 30 until May 31.

Tskhinvali is asking for assistance with medical equipment

Unlike Italy and Serbia, Tskhinvali will not ask Russia for medical aid (specialists and medical equipment) said Dina Gassieva, spokeswoman for de facto President of the Tskhinvali Region. As she stated, currently there is no case of Coronavirus infection in the region and therefore there is no need to seek medical help, however Tskhinvali had already appealed to the Russian government to allocate medicines and personal protective equipment for the Tskhinvali Region, which will be delivered shortly.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also spoke about the assistance provided to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region in an interview with Russian media.

Landing party from Crimea

On April 21, Valery Bganba, de facto Acting President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia met with representatives of the Russian „embassy“ and the 7th military base in Abkhazia. According to de facto government press service, at the meeting was discussed the issue of technical assistance by the Russian side during the sanitary measures.

On April 18, radiation, chemical and biological protection unit of the Black Sea Fleet arrived in Abkhazia from Crimea to assist the Abkhazian side. According to de facto Ministry of Defence of Abkhazia, the unit carried out disinfection in all districts of Abkhazia.