Russia could build naval base in Abkhazia
Rus MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Black Sea Fleet may
eventually use the Abkhazian port of Sukhumi as a naval base, former fleet
commander said on Friday.
After Russia recognized the independence of Georgia’s two breakaway regions,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh suggested
that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet could use one of the ports in the republic to
station its warships.
"Sukhumi could easily host Black Sea Fleet ships, for instance a naval
brigade of up to 30 vessels," said Admiral Eduard Baltin, commenting on
Bagapsh’s statement.
Baltin, 71, said a naval brigade might comprise a division of small ASW
ships, a division of small missile ships or boats, and a division of
minesweepers.
He said one of the large piers at the Sukhumi port had not been used since
the 1992 Georgian-Abkhazian conflict because several ships were sunk there.
"If we cleared up the harbor at the cargo terminal, we would be able to
station the ships from the naval brigade there," the admiral said.
A group of Russian warships led by the guided-missile cruiser Moskva visited
the Sukhumi port on Wednesday, as part of a peacekeeping mission in
Abkhazian territorial waters, according to the Russian Navy.
Russia has repeatedly said that it has no plans to withdraw its Black Sea
Fleet from the naval base in Sevastopol in Ukraine until the bilateral
agreement on the base’s lease expires in 2017, despite numerous statements
recently made by Ukraine that Russia should be prepared to withdraw its
fleet.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has stepped up security at its facilities in
Ukraine to deter possible provocative acts following the conclusion of
hostilities between Georgia and Russia over breakaway South Ossetia on
August 12.
Ukraine, which is seeking NATO membership along with Georgia, supported
Tbilisi in the conflict with Moscow.