Publication:  N1 / Review period: September 1-30, 2020 / 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 and 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 Russian 7th military base in Abkhazia participated in various military exercises in September:

• As part of battalion-level tactical exercises, artillery units exercised shooting from modernized self-propelled artillery equipment Acacia.
• At the Tsebelda military training ground, a motorized infantry unit exercised to drive BTR-82-AM tanks in difficult terrain and with limited visibility.
• At the Tsebelda military training ground, anti-aircraft gunners repulsed unmanned aerial vehicles of the conditional enemy, using anti-aircraft device Tunguska.
• As part of military exercises, held at three different military training grounds, anti-aircraft gunners repulsed an attack of more than 30 unmanned aerial vehicles of a conditional enemy. The exercises were held in difficult terrain.
• As part of tactical exercises, held at the Tsebelda military training ground, communication specialists ensured stable connection between the checkpoints.
• At the Tsebelda military training ground, combat medics exercised to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield on Mi-8 helicopters. Military exercises were held at the Tsebelda military training ground in difficult terrain.

Joint exercises

• Armed Forces of the 7th military base and the de facto Republic of Abkhazia participated in joint tactical exercises which took place at the Tsebelda and Nagvalou military training grounds. As part of the exercises, the participants worked out destruction of conditional enemies, mining and demining, carrying out engineering intelligence.
• An engineering-sapper unit of the 7th military base and units of the Ministry of Defense of the de facto republic of Abkhazia participated in tactical exercises which were held at the Nagvalou military training ground. As part of the exercises, the participants exercised in blasting the front coastline, mining and demining, erecting fortifications.

Training infrastructure

In Abkhazia, on the territory of the Patriot Park was opened a special training ground designed to study the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Patriot Park is a kind of military complex, which is divided into five sectors and includes 24 buildings with different military functions.

Other events

• On September 13, events dedicated to the 74th  anniversary of the establishment of the Tank Forces were held at the 7th military base. Oleg Senkov, the Commander of the 7th military base, addressed the audience.
• On the Day of Tankmen up to 50 children of military servicemen joined the Youth Army (Yunarmiya).
• On September 29, the commander of the 7TH military base met with the de facto leader of Abkhazia and the adviser to the Russian Embassy in Abkhazia. Issues of military cooperation with Russia were discussed at the meeting.
• Russian servicemen took part in an event dedicated to the Independence Day of Abkhazia and laid flowers at the Memorial of Heroes in the Park of Glory.

Russian Military Forces in the Tskhinvali Region

Military Exercises

In September, units of the Russian 4th military base in the Tkshinvali region participated in various military exercises:

• Commanders of a motorized infantry unit practiced to carry out and control an artillery fire at the Dzartsemi military training ground.
• Snipers exercised to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles.
• A unit of the 58th Combined Arms Army destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles at low altitude using new methods of combat.  Electronic warfare specialists also participated in the military exercise.  
• As part of regular exercises, servicemen practiced in the destruction of a conditional enemy at the Dzartsemi military training ground.
• Electronic warfare specialists disrupted control systems of a conditional enemy using the latest methods of combat.

Joint exercises

A motorized infantry unit and tank battalions of the 4th military base, together with the de facto armed forces of the Tskhinvali region, participated in joint exercises at the Dzartsemi military training ground. As part of exercises, the servicemen arranged field command posts. Quadcopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles were used in the exercises for the first time.

Other events

• On the Day of Tankmen, a combat shooting competition was held at the Dzartsemi military training ground with the participation of tankmen of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation.
• On September 20, a military parade was held in Tskhinvali dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the recognition of the so-called Republic of South Ossetia. Military servicemen of the 4th military base participated in the parade.

The Military Exercises Kavkaz 2020 and the Occupied Regions of Georgia

On September 21-26, the large-scale military exercises Kavkaz 2020 were held in Russia. Military servicemen from the Russian Federation, as well as from Armenia, Belarus, China, Myanmar and Pakistan participated in the strategic command-staff exercises Kavkaz 2020. The military exercises were held in the occupied regions of Georgia as well. In total, up to 80 thousand military servicemen participated in the military exercises.

It is noteworthy, that the military exercises Kavkaz 2020 were preceded by the military exercises Noble Partner 2020. It was a joint exercise of the Georgian Defense Forces and the US Army Europe, involving up to 2,800 military personnel from Georgia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Poland. Noble Partner 2020 started on September 7 and lasted until September 18.

The Military Exercises Kavkaz 2020 in Abkhazia:

• An official opening ceremony of the large-scale military exercises Kavkaz 2020 was held at the Tsebelda military training ground. The event was attended by the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, and the Commander of the 7th military base, Oleg Senkov.
• At the Tsebelda and Nagvalou military training grounds, more than 1,500 servicemen marched 150 kilometers. Up to 500 units of military equipment and aviation as well were involved in the military exercises.
• At the Tsebelda military training ground, motorized infantry, artillerymen, anti-aircraft gunners and airborne defense units exercised to search and destroy terrorists and illegal armed formations. Aslan Bzhania and Oleg Senkov attended the military exercises.
• At the Nagvalou military training ground, in the Black Sea waters, Russian and Abkhazian servicemen opened fire en masse on armed formations of a conditional enemy, thus officially ending the Kavkaz 2020 exercises in Abkhazia.

The Military Exercises Kavkaz 2020 in the Tskhinvali Region:

• A motorized infantry unit of the 58th combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation and the de facto armed forces of the Tskhinvali region marched through the Dzartzemi military training ground. As part of military exercise, military servicemen carried out searching operations using modern equipment to detect and destroy targets.
• A battalion tactical group of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation exercised to find and block conditional enemies.

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.