Ochamchira, Georgia (Ports Europe) November 8, 2024 – The construction of the Black Sea Port Intermodal Container Terminal in Ochamchira is planned to be completed by November 15, the Minister of Economy of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, Oktay Khazirishi said. As usual for Russian-occupied Abkhazia, Moscow is footing the construction bill.
“We have already signed contracts with container shipping companies,” Khazirishi said. “Our partners are waiting for this. Then, the transportation of goods and containers will begin”.
The terminal site, 250 meters long and 500 meters wide, equipped with railway tracks, is designed to store 1,200 containers simultaneously. The infrastructure includes fire safety systems and connections for refrigerated containers, which will allow the future sending of citrus fruits and other perishable goods to Russia. A self-propelled crane with a lifting capacity of 45 tonnes from China’s Zoomlion company was also purchased.
Russian navy base in Ochamchira
Satellite images analysed in August by Bellingcat, an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists, show that construction activity has accelerated since early 2024, with multiple buildings and perimeter features under construction in Ochamchira port.
Confusion about Russian naval base in occupied Georgian port
Abkhazia claimed in October 2023 that it had signed a deal with Moscow to establish a permanent naval base in its Ochamchira port. This follows the panicked withdrawal of most of the Russian Navy fleet from Sevastopol port in Moscow-occupied Crimea due to Ukrainian attacks.
Russian Navy base next door to Georgia’s future Anaklia port
Aslan Bzhania, Abkhazia’s leader, said in October 2023, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, that: “in the future, there will be a permanent base for the Russian navy fleet in the Ochamchira district”. Russia opened a coastguard station in Ochamchira in 2017.
Moscow minions in Abkhasia panic
But in a surprising statement a few days ago, Abkhazia’s newly reappointed Foreign Minister, Sergey Shamba, has said there are currently ‘no plans’ to establish a Russian naval base in Abkhazia. Shamba’s claim might indicate panic that Ukraine will pre-emptively attack Ochamchira.
“There are no plans to establish a naval base in Ochamchira port’, Shamba said. In January he claimed that the Russian base would be operational by the end of 2024. The commander of the Ukrainian navy, Oleskiy Neizhpapa, said at the time that his country considers Russian warships a legitimate target no matter where they are located.
Currently, the Russian Black Sea fleet is in Novorossiysk, the country’s largest port, some 450 km northeast. Novorossiysk is subject to regular Ukrainian drone and missile attacks.
To ensure the proper functioning of the new Russian Navy Black Sea base in Ochamchira (Ochamchire) in the Georgian region of Abkhasia, large-scale preparatory works were already underway in December 2023 near the Abkhaz village of Pichori.
The Bellingcat report appeared to confirm speculation that, despite Russian authorities remaining silent about Bzhaniya’s 2023 announcement, the port in Ochamchira could potentially become a haven for vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, especially from Ukrainian naval drone attacks, which intensified in the past two years, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
It’s worth noting that earlier this week, Ukraine hit, for the first time, Russian navy ships in the Caspian Sea base of Kaspiysk, 18 km southeast of Makhachkala port and over 1,000 km from the front line. Ochamchira is closer to Ukraine.
Anaklia deep sea port
Pichori is less than 8 km north of Georgia’s Anaklia, where Georgia’s long-delayed and first deepwater port is to be constructed. The Anaklia deep sea port could drastically speed up (halve) cargo travel times and increase significantly the cargo volumes. Moscow has long opposed it, until recently China state-owned companies took over the original Western project.
Russian Black Sea navy to escape to Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia
In conversations with the local people, Russian military personnel said that Pichori would have an auxiliary function of the large military naval base of Ochamchire.
The recently re-elected pro-Russian government in Tbilisi continues to ignore the Russian occupation of Georgian territory. They also sabotaged the construction of Anaklia deep sea port most likely due to Moscow’s opposition.
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