Russian Air Force commander backs idea of Abkhazia military base

[North Pole Resident]

Great news. Russian military base will protect Abkhazia from crazy Georgian leaders.

15/ 05/ 2008

MOSCOW, May 15 (RIA Novosti) - The creation of a Russian military base in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia would increase the security of Russia's borders in the region, Russia's Air Force commander said on Thursday.
Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh proposed on Wednesday that Russia open a military base on its territory.

"If a corresponding political decision is made, it will only be to the benefit of air defense," Colonel-General Alexander Zelin said.

On Wednesday Georgia's Foreign Ministry announced its withdrawal from a 1995 CIS unified air defense agreement signed by a number of former Soviet republics, including Russia.
Zelin also reiterated that Russian military aircraft never shot down a Georgian surveillance drone over the territory of the unrecognized republic.
"I can once again confirm that Russian Air Force planes never participated in this incident," he said.

On April 20, Georgia accused Russia of shooting down a drone over Abkhazia, a claim Russia flatly denied, calling the video footage provided by Georgia a fake.

Abkhazia claims its air defenses had shot down seven Georgian surveillance drones this year, one on May 8, two on March 18 and April 20, two on May 4 and further two on May 12.

Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi have drastically deteriorated since the Kremlin called for closer ties between Moscow and the two Georgian breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in mid-April.

RIA Novosti - World - Russian Air Force commander backs idea of Abkhazia military base



Abkhazia (pronounced /æbˈkeɪʒə/ or /æbˈkɑziə/, Abkhaz: Аҧсны Apsny, Georgian: აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti, Russian: Абха́зия Abhazia) is a region in the Caucasus.
It is a de facto independent republic, with no international recognition. It is located within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and borders the Russian Federation to the north. Under Georgia's official subdivision, it is an autonomous republic (Georgian: აფხაზეთის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა, Abkhaz: Аҧснытәи Автономтәи Республика), with Sukhumi as its capital, bordering the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to the east.

Abkhazia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia