In October 2023, russia announced plans to modernize the military-naval base in occupied Abkhazia’s Ochamchire. Reports suggest that work on this facility is progressing rapidly.
Georgian TV channel TV Pirveli reported this information and shared a video from the site, highlighting ongoing work, including the construction of new personnel accommodation facilities. The goal is to make the military-naval base operational within the year. Comparing drone footage with publicly available satellite images from October 2022 may provide additional insights. It’s worth noting that the drone footage appears distorted and required adjustments for accuracy. Yet, no visible new structures have been identified on the base.
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The observed location of the work is not a construction site but a cargo coal terminal, reportedly serving as a contraband hub under FSB control. However, one completed building is visible compared to 2022, but its construction began in summer 2021. Therefore, confirming extensive ongoing work and the potential relocation of the entire Black Sea Fleet to this relatively small base (with a bay measuring 200 by 200 meters) remains uncertain. A comparison can be made with russia’s modernization of the Caspian Sea base in 2015 and 2023, where the Caspian Flotilla is gradually being relocated.
Russia’s initiative to potentially station ships from the Black Sea Fleet in occupied Ochamchire signifies that, for the Kremlin, being 130 km away from NATO (specifically, the distance from this base to the Turkish border) is considered safer than remaining in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
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