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Construction Accelerates at Planned Russian Navy Base in Disputed Abkhazia [bellingcat]
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2024/07/30/construction-accelerates-at-planned-russian-navy-base-in-disputed-abkhazia/Construction Accelerates at Planned Russian Navy Base in Disputed Abkhazia
July 30, 2024
Georgia
In October 2023, the president of Abkhazia, a Russian-backed separatist region of Georgia, announced that a new Russian navy base would be built to serve as a “permanent place of deployment” for parts of Russia’s Black Sea fleet at Ochamchire, a small harbour serving a coal terminal and Federal Security Service (FSB) Coast Guard division.
While these plans were not confirmed by Russia, and there was little observable activity in the months immediately following the announcement, satellite imagery analysed by Bellingcat shows that construction activity has accelerated since early 2024, with multiple buildings and perimeter features under construction.
The rumoured base would be of strategic importance for Russia, experts suggest, as the naval base could provide a safe haven for the Black Sea Fleet, which has been subject to Ukrainian drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
After a combined aerial and sea attack on Sevastopol in the latter part of October 2022, Russia moved much of its fleet to Novorossiysk. Novorossiysk was subject to similar attacks in August 2023, May 2024 and July 2024. Just after the attack in July, open source researcher H.I. Sutton (@CovertShores on X) observed that a Russian Project 22870 tugboat had moved from Novorossiysk to the Ochamchire base. While the base has long supported a group of FSB coast guard vessels, this is the first ship from the Russian Navy to utilise the base.
The presence of a Russian navy base could impact Georgia’s plans to develop a modern deep-water port in Anaklia, approximately 30 km south of Ochamchire. This multibillion-dollar project aims to make Georgia an independent international transit hub for goods between China and the European Union. Originally led by a Georgian-American consortium, the project was cancelled by the Georgian government in 2020 amidst domestic political controversy and closer relations between Russia and the ruling Georgian Dream party. In May 2024, the port project was restarted, now led by a Chinese consortium.
[...]
July 30, 2024
Georgia
In October 2023, the president of Abkhazia, a Russian-backed separatist region of Georgia, announced that a new Russian navy base would be built to serve as a “permanent place of deployment” for parts of Russia’s Black Sea fleet at Ochamchire, a small harbour serving a coal terminal and Federal Security Service (FSB) Coast Guard division.
While these plans were not confirmed by Russia, and there was little observable activity in the months immediately following the announcement, satellite imagery analysed by Bellingcat shows that construction activity has accelerated since early 2024, with multiple buildings and perimeter features under construction.
The rumoured base would be of strategic importance for Russia, experts suggest, as the naval base could provide a safe haven for the Black Sea Fleet, which has been subject to Ukrainian drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
After a combined aerial and sea attack on Sevastopol in the latter part of October 2022, Russia moved much of its fleet to Novorossiysk. Novorossiysk was subject to similar attacks in August 2023, May 2024 and July 2024. Just after the attack in July, open source researcher H.I. Sutton (@CovertShores on X) observed that a Russian Project 22870 tugboat had moved from Novorossiysk to the Ochamchire base. While the base has long supported a group of FSB coast guard vessels, this is the first ship from the Russian Navy to utilise the base.
The presence of a Russian navy base could impact Georgia’s plans to develop a modern deep-water port in Anaklia, approximately 30 km south of Ochamchire. This multibillion-dollar project aims to make Georgia an independent international transit hub for goods between China and the European Union. Originally led by a Georgian-American consortium, the project was cancelled by the Georgian government in 2020 amidst domestic political controversy and closer relations between Russia and the ruling Georgian Dream party. In May 2024, the port project was restarted, now led by a Chinese consortium.
[...]