The Abkhazian Navy is an operational-strategic formation of the
Abkhazian Armed Forces
The Abkhazian Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Abkhazia. The forces were officially created on 12 October 1992, after the outbreak of the 1992–1993 war with Georgia. The basis of the armed forces was formed by the ethnic Abkhaz Na ...
, with its headquarters located in the vicinity of
Sukhumi
Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...
lighthouse. Its primary mission is to ensure the security of the self-proclaimed state of
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...
on the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
coast. The Navy consists of littoral combat boats, a battalion of marines, parts of coastal troops and special forces. Joint exercises are often held with the
Russian Navy.
On December 23, 2014, the
Parliament of Abkhazia
The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...
ratified the Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership with the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. In accordance with the agreement, the main areas of cooperation are: conducting a coordinated foreign policy and common space of defense and security, promoting socio-economic development, and creating conditions for the full participation of Abkhazia in the post-Soviet era.
History and present role
Tensions had long existed between Abkhaz nationalists and ethnic
Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
under Soviet rule, leading to the
1989 Sukhumi riots
The Sukhumi riot was a riot in Sukhumi, Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union, in July 1989, triggered by an increasing inter-ethnic tensions between the Abkhaz and Georgian communities a ...
. In the aftermath of the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, Abkhazia remained as part of newly-independent
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. Tensions over autonomy demands led to the Abkhazian government proclaiming the independence of the region on 23 July 1992. On 14 August, Georgian police and National Guard units were dispatched to restore government control over Abkhazia, which marked the commencement of the
war in Abkhazia. On 15 August, a marine tugboat was sent from
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
, Russia to
Ochamchire
Ochamchire or Ochamchira ( ka, ოჩამჩირე, ; ab, Очамчыра, ''Ochamchyra''; russian: Очамчира, ''Ochamchira'') is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of an eponymous district.
Acc ...
to tow a decommissioned ship that had been sold to Turkey for
scrap
Scrap consists of Recycling, recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap Waste valorization, has monetary ...
. As Georgian forces recaptured Ochamchire, the tug was seized and incorporated into the
Georgian Navy
The Georgian Coast Guard ( ka, საქართველოს სანაპირო დაცვა) is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection ...
.
Two days later, a group organized by long-distance navigator Levan Katiba brought a number of vessels across the
Gumista River
The Gumista River ( ka, გუმისთა, Abkhaz: Гәымсҭа) is a river in Abkhazia, Georgia. It is formed by the joining of the Eastern and Western Gumista Rivers. It is nourished by snow, rain and underground water. The river flows in ...
. In Gudauta, the formation of a fleet was organized by Kuchkan Enik, who served from 29 August as head of the coast guard. By order of Colonel Sosnaliev, who was the Chief of Staff of the State Committee for Defense, Enik was given the right to appoint specialists and take sea boats throughout the
Gudauta
Gudauta ( ka, გუდაუთა, ; ab, Гәдоуҭа, ''Gwdowtha''; russian: Гудаута, ''Gudauta'') is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest of Sukhu ...
District.
In September, Katiba began to form the Navy in the city of Pitsunda from floating seacraft, which at that time were in the hands of local Abkhaz militias. It originally consisted of 25 sailors, with Katiba being the first commander. Abkhaz sailors had a role in blocking he naval communications of the
Georgian Armed Forces
The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defense of the nation's indep ...
during the
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
The War in Abkhazia was fought between Georgian government forces for the most part and Abkhaz separatist forces, Russian government armed forces and North Caucasian militants between 1992 and 1993. Ethnic Georgians who lived in Abkhazia f ...
. On 20 September 1993, a
Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russian ...
was shot down from a boat by a gunner of the Atar Battalion. A day later, a
Tupolev Tu-134
The Tupolev Tu-134 (NATO reporting name: Crusty) is a twin-engined, narrow-body jet airliner built in the Soviet Union for short and medium-haul routes from 1966 to 1989. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain ot ...
passenger plane flying from Sochi was shot down over the sea (killing 22 civilians and 5 crew members, including journalists from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
) and the day after, two
Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russian ...
planes carrying
Georgian Special Forces
The Georgian Special Operations Forces (GSOF) ( ka, სპეციალური ოპერაციების ძალები) are the special operations forces component of the Defense Forces of Georgia. They have been established to c ...
personnel from
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
were shot down by the Ablhaz fleet. The ''Komsomolets of Abkhazia'' and ''Sukhum'' carried out humanitarian transport to
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
for Abkhaz refugees as part of a
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
exchange program. On 12 November 1992, personnel of the Gudauta Coast Guard Base began to be deployed to the main naval base while transferring a boat and a Project 343ME Volga glider at the same time.
On 19 December 1992, Katiba, began to address issues related to the replenishment of equipment, staffing of ships as well as ship documentation and launched a working group to address these needs for the young navy. The interim acting commander of the navy became Raul Nanba, who until then had served as
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
in the
Russian Navy. Raul Nanba resigned from his duties in January 1993. Captain Alexander Voinsky was appointed to this position, with Yuri Achba, a former commander of a
nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...
of the
Soviet Navy's
Northern Fleet
Severnyy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem
, start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...
, serving as chief of staff. In July of that year, Captain Ali Aliyev, a retired Dagestani graduate of the
Caspian Higher Naval School
The Azerbaijan Higher Naval Academy () is an educational institution of the Azerbaijani Naval Forces. It is part of the education system of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. It was originally founded in 1939 In Soviet times, it was called the ...
in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
.
Further development of the navy was associated with the purchase of disarmed or decommissioned boats
post-Soviet states
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
. the countries of the former USSR. Until 2001, there were 9
fishing trawler
A fishing trawler is a commercial fishing vessel designed to operate Trawling, fishing trawls. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively dragging or pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. Trawls are fishing ...
s in the Sukhumi Naval Division. Between June and August 2004, the Navy of Abkhazia replenished four artillery boats from the 116th River Ship Brigade (located in
Izmail
Izmail (, , translit. ''Izmail,'' formerly Тучков ("Tuchkov"); ro, Ismail or ''Smil''; pl, Izmaił, bg, Исмаил) is a city and municipality on the Danube river in Odesa Oblast in south-western Ukraine. It serves as the administra ...
) of the
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
, purchased with funds from the Abkhazian diaspora. In early September 2009, President
Sergey Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, ka, სერგეი ბაგაფში, russian: Сергей Васильевич Багапш, translit=Sergey Vasilyevich Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as th ...
ordered the navy "to destroy"
Georgian Navy
The Georgian Coast Guard ( ka, საქართველოს სანაპირო დაცვა) is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection ...
ships near the maritime border of Abkhazia. On 23 December 2014, the
Parliament of Abkhazia
The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...
ratified a treaty between Abkhazia and the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, which laid the foundation for naval cooperation.
Organization
The Navy of Abkhazia is divided into three divisions, with the naval headquarters being located in the Sukhumi Lighthouse Area. The main fleet bases are located in
Sukhumi
Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...
,
Ochamchire
Ochamchire or Ochamchira ( ka, ოჩამჩირე, ; ab, Очамчыра, ''Ochamchyra''; russian: Очамчира, ''Ochamchira'') is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of an eponymous district.
Acc ...
, Pitsunda. The number of sailors in the navy numbers more than 600 people. The composition of the Navy includes:
*1st Division (
Sukhumi
Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...
)
*2nd Division (
Pitsunda
Pitsunda ( ab, Пиҵунда, russian: Пицунда) or Bichvinta ( ka, ბიჭვინთა ) is a resort town in the Gagra District of Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, Pitsunda became ...
)
*3rd Division (
Ochamchire
Ochamchire or Ochamchira ( ka, ოჩამჩირე, ; ab, Очамчыра, ''Ochamchyra''; russian: Очамчира, ''Ochamchira'') is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of an eponymous district.
Acc ...
)
*Marine Battalion – It currently consists of 350-400 sailors.
*Three coastal defense batteries *Unguided aircraft rocket installation
*Special Unit "Night Angels"
*Special Unit "Fighting Swimmers"
*Three stationary radar installations
Commanders
* Levan Katiba (September–December 1992)
* Captain 1st Rank Raul Nanba (December 1992-January 1993
* Captain 1st Rank Aleksander Voinsky (January 1993 – 2001)
* Captain 1st Rank Zurab Gitsba
* Captain 1st Rank Aleksander Voinsky (7 July 2005 – 2009)
See also
*
References
{{reflist
Military of Abkhazia
Navies by country
1992 establishments in Abkhazia