Publication: N25 / review period: January 1-31, 2021

Review of the Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region 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 important developments related to Russia’s policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. 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.

January 2021 Main Events in Brief:

• Government officials: As per a decision by the President or Russia, Mikhail Babich, an influential official who oversaw the direction of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, left the Ministry of Economic Development.
• Interview with the “ambassador:” The Russian “ambassador” to Abkhazia expressed a critical assessment in connection with the increased frequency of criminal acts committed against Russians, as well as in connection with the issue of granting Russian citizens the citizenship of Abkhazia.
• Russian Armed Forces: Vaccination of military servicemen was started at the 7th and 4th military bases of Russia.
• Cooperation in the field of security:  The de facto President of the Tskhinvali region met with the Commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation.
• Cooperation between law enforcement agencies:  Russia and the Tskhinvali region agreed on a plan of consultations between the Foreign Ministries for 2021-2022.
• Cooperation in the field of the economy:  In January 2021, the volume of transactions with Russian bank cards in Abkhazia sharply increased compared to the same period last year.
• Cooperation in the field of energy:  Abkhazia receives electricity from Russia due to the shut-down of the Enguri HPP for rehabilitation work which started on January 20.
• “Soft power:” The selection for admission to Russian universities for the 2021-2022 academic year will soon start in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

Government Officials

2021 started with important personnel changes in the direction of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region:

• On January 2, by a decree of the President of Russia, Mikhail Petrakov was appointed as the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Delimitation and Demarcation of the State Border of the Russian Federation with Neighbouring States - Members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). By the same decree, Petrakov was instructed to establish “borders” with Georgia and the de facto republics of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Petrakov has been engaged in the diplomatic service since 1982. His activities in the following years will be directly related to Georgia, as he will be involved in the illegal process of establishing “borders” with the occupied regions of Georgia.
• On January 21, the Russian “ambassador” to Abkhazia, Aleksey Dvinianin, met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania. The “ambassador” introduced to Bzhania a new Head of the Border Division of the Russian Federal Security Service, Andrey Kudimov. Kudimov replaced Aleksey Trubetski in this post.

Mikhail Babich’s visit to Sokhumi. Source: The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

• On January 20, 2021, by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Babich, the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, was appointed as the Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.  After the abolition of the Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs on January 20, 2020, Babich oversaw the implementation of Russian-funded socio-economic projects in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. During his tenure, Babich often met with de facto leaders of Georgia's occupied regions. Last year, despite the pandemic, he still visited Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

Accusations of the “Ambassador”

On January 13, 2021, the “ambassador” of the Russian Federation to Abkhazia, Aleksey Dvinianin, gave an interview to the Abkhazian television. During the interview, the “ambassador” expressed concern over the numerous criminal acts committed against Russian tourists, businessmen and ordinary citizens. He also dwelt on issues such as the small number of ethnic Russians in the de facto parliament and government, and the difficulties that Russian citizens face in obtaining citizenship of Abkhazia.

These issues have long been on the agenda. A predecessor to Dvinianin, Semyon Grigoriev, also sharply criticized the de facto government of Abkhazia for the increased crime against Russian citizens, which led some in Abkhaz society to even accuse him of meddling in the internal affairs of the de facto republic. Dvinianin’s critical assessments coincide in time with the growing pressure from Russia on the de facto government of Abkhazia to timely address problematic issues (granting Abkhaz citizenship to Russian citizens, giving Russians the right to acquire property in Abkhazia, and fight against crime).

Military Exercises

Military exercises at the 7th military base in Abkhazia

• An anti-tank unit exercised in highlands of the Nagvalou and Tsebelda military training grounds.
• Air defense specialists exercised in the protection of the airspace of Abkhazia over the Black Sea.
• Military servicemen and emergency management specialists exercised to extinguish forest fires.
• Military servicemen of the 7th military base and the Armed Forces of the de facto republic Abkhazia conducted a joint exercise. The planned combat training lasted for a week.

Other News from the 7th Military Base

• Planned vaccination of military servicemen started at the military base. According to the vaccination schedule, on-shift military personnel, medical personnel and command staff of the base received the first doses.
• The last group of recruits of the fall 2020 call-up took the military oath and were assigned to respective units.

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

• Motorized infantry carried out combat shootings. As part of the exercise, servicemen used UAVs to detect and destroy groups of a conditional enemy.
• A reconnaissance unit repulsed an attack of a conditional enemy. During the exercise, servicemen surrounded the conditional enemy, who had sneaked into the territory of the 4th military base to seize a checkpoint and a fleet of combat vehicles.
• Tankmen carried out an exercise at the Dzartsemi military training ground and destroyed a new type of moving targets - mined vehicles. 
• As part of an exercise, military medics carried out search operations and evacuated conditionally injured servicemen.

Other News from the 4th Military Base

• A sambo competition was held among children of military servicemen.
• Vaccination started at the 4th military base. More than 800 servicemen of the base were vaccinated against the coronavirus infection.

A detailed review of the activities of the Russian Military forces in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in January 2021 can be found here.

Cooperation in the Field of Security

The de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov, met with the Commander of the 58th General Arms Army of the Russian Federation, the Major General Mikhail Zusko. The 4th military base deployed in the Tskhinvali region is under the command of the 58th Army. The purpose of the meeting was to deepen cooperation in the field of security in 2021. A similar meeting was held in November last year.

Coordination of Foreign Policy

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, hosted the de facto Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region, Dmitry Medoev. The parties signed a “plan for consultations between the Foreign Ministries for 2021-2022.” Medoev was awarded with the Russian Foreign Ministry badge “For Interaction.”

Cooperation in the Field of the Economy

According to the de facto National Bank of Abkhazia, the volume of transactions with Russian bank cards from January 1 to January 10, 2021, increased by RUB 88.3 million (69.5%) compared to the same period last year. Transactions were made through the APRA payment system of Abkhazia. Transactions with Russian bank cards totaled RUB 216 million. The APRA infrastructure has more than 2500 terminal devices in Abkhazia.

Cooperation in the Field of Energy

2021 started with serious energy challenges in Abkhazia. On January 20, the Enguri HPP, the main source of electricity supply to Abkhazia, was shut down for rehabilitation for several months. To overcome the energy crisis, the de facto government set a schedule for electricity supply and suspended the production of cryptocurrencies. Currently, Abkhazia receives electricity from Russia. Abkhazia consumes about 10.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity. The de facto republic will receive a total of 800 million kilowatt hours of electricity from Russia as part of the power flow agreement, which, under the current loads will not be enough.

Russian “Soft Power”

Selection and Admission to Russian Universities

Student selection and admission to Russian universities for the 2021-22 academic year will soon start in the Tskhinvali region. The Rossotrudnichestvo office in the Tskhinvali region published a list of specialties (applied mathematics, statistics, information systems and technology, electricity, and electrical engineering, etc.) that correspond to the educational quota for studying at Russian universities in the 2021-22 academic year. The list is compiled based on a statement by the de facto government of the Tskhinvali region.

Registration for Admission to Russian Universities Has Begun

On January 20, the website of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Abkhazia published information about the start of the registration for those wishing to study at Russian universities. In 2020, 50 entrants were admitted to Russian higher education institutions according to quotas allocated by the Rossotrudnichestvo. This year, 18 places are allocated for entrants from the Tskhinvali region.

Presentation of the Magazine Russian Word in South Ossetia Was Held in Tskhinvali

A presentation of the magazine Russian Word in South Ossetia was held in the Tskhinvali region.  The magazine was incepted in 2020 and was dedicated to the centenary of the “Ossetian Genocide;“ however, its 18th issue was presented in early 2021.

Vadim Chekha Summarized Results of a Competition Organized by the Rossotrudnichestvo

Vadim Chekha, the Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Abkhazia, summarized results of a competition. The competition “What do I know about the country in which I live and study” was held   on December 7-21, 2020. Its topics were the Russian-Abkhazian historical and cultural heritage the first manifestations of Abkhazian “statehood,” historical and cultural monuments, interaction between Russia and Abkhazia, etc.

Russia Donates Books to the “National” Library of Abkhazia

The Russian Central Library donated books to the “National” Library of Abkhazia. In total, the “National” Library of Abkhazia received 300 books which were selected by the library staff.

Military Servicemen Held Open Lessons in Tskhinvali

Open lesson. Source:  cominf.org

Servicemen of the 4th military base of the Russian Federation in the Tskhinvali region held open lessons at schools in Tskhinvali. The lessons were held within the framework of the program of military-patriotic education of the youth and were dedicated to the end of the siege of Leningrad.