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The Occupation of Poti was a series of Russian strikes against the Georgian
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
of
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
during the
Russo-Georgian War
The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarThe war is known by a variety of other names, including Five-Day War, August War and Russian invasion of Georgia. was a war between Georgia, on one side, and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Sou ...
in August 2008. The city was later occupied by Russian troops, who remained for some time before eventually withdrawing.
Background
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
is the economically vital port of Georgia 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, Rom ...
. Poti is a critical entry point for the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
and the land-locked nations of
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
.
Occupation
Russian aircraft bombed Poti on 8 August, and the port was closed for two days.
The Russian air force attacked the port on 9 August.
Russian warships were deployed near Georgian ports along the Black Sea coast, including Poti, on 10 August 2008. It was reported that Russia had dropped fragmentation bombs in Poti.
On 11 August, Georgian officials said that Russian forces had entered Poti, though Russia claimed they had only sent in a reconnaissance mission. In the morning of 12 August, bombing was heard an hour after Russian president had announced he would cease Russian military campaign. Russian troops drove through the port of
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
, and took up positions around it.
On 12 August,
combat swimmers
A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or human swimming, swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of co ...
of the Russian
Black Sea Fleet conducted a successful raid on Poti harbour, destroying Georgian torpedo and missile boats.
On 13 August, Al Jazeera correspondents in
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
reported "more and more Russian troops coming into the area all day" and the destruction of six Georgian vessels. Reporter Hoda Abdel Hamid said that "Russia is clearly on the offensive."
On 14 August, Reuters reported that witnesses in
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
said that Russian tanks had entered the town and were "looting". Russia's deputy chief of the general staff,
Anatoliy Nogovitsyn denied the presence of Russian troops in Poti. An
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
Television News crew witnessed Russian troops on the outskirts of Poti as they searched an old Soviet military base for Georgian military equipment. On 15 August,
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reporter said that Russian forces aimed to remove or destroy military equipment in Poti.
From 13 to 15 August, according to
Moscow Defence Brief
''Moscow Defense Brief'' is an English-language defense magazine published by Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), an independent defense think-tank in Moscow, Russia. , "Russian paratroops raided Poti again and again, destroying almost all of the docked ships and boats of the Georgian Navy, and took away a quantity of valuable military equipment."
On the morning of 19 August, some 70 Russian troops entered the port grounds.
Russian forces in Poti took prisoner 21 Georgian soldiers that were guarding the port. Russians also seized 5 Humvees that were the United States property. They were taken to a Georgian military base occupied by Russian troops at Senaki. Humvees then reportedly were taken to Abkhazia, deep in Russian-held territory.
Russian soldiers had deployed artillery along major highways between Abkhazia and Poti.
The captured servicemen were members of the Georgian coast guard, who had returned to their previously abandoned positions in Poti on the late night of 18 August. According to Georgian officials, they had a right to do so under the ceasefire agreement. Officials from Poti followed the Russians to Senaki to negotiate the soldiers' release.
''The Wall Street Journal'' said Russian actions in Poti was another blow to Georgia's economy.
An Azerbaijani news source quoted a Poti port official as saying, "All workers were expelled from the port".
On 20 August, an official from the Poti port said that the Russian military had withdrawn.
On 22 August, Russia declared the withdrawal of its forces was completed from Georgia. Yet, two Russian outposts remained outside Poti for patrolling. On 23 August, at a news conference General Anatoly Nogovitsyn insisted that "These patrols were envisaged in the international agreement" and "Poti is outside of the security zone, but that does not mean we will sit behind a fence watching them riding around in Hummers."
On 24 August, with Russian forces still within the port of Poti, a US warship arrived with aid supplies in Batumi, south of Poti.
On 13 September, all posts near Poti were abandoned by 11:00 MSK.
Aftermath
The UNOSAT carried out the initial analysis of satellite pictures of Poti acquired on 25 August 2008. Six submerged Georgian vessels were identified, while no other damage was visible in the city.
References
{{coord, 42.1500, N, 41.6667, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Russo-Georgian War
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...
Military occupation
Poti
August 2008 events in Asia
September 2008 events in Asia
Poti
Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...