26 Apr 2019 19:56

Russian, Abkhaz military holds joint command-and-staff drills

SUKHUM. April 26 (Interfax) - Abkhaz President Raul Khadjimba has attended joint command-and-staff drills of units of the Abkhaz army and the 7th military base of the Russian Armed Forces which took place in the Gulripshi district, Abkhazia, on Friday.

The Abkhaz president was reported on the results of the drills, which were held in the Ochamchiri district and in the area bordering Georgia, at a command post of the Abkhaz Armed Forces chief command.

Khadjimba said that he finds joint military drills and defense cooperation between Abkhazia and Russia highly important.

"Joint drills should be held. The world is changing and security issues are becoming more and more complicated. We should take into account the situation in the Black Sea and what is happening in Ukraine and other countries in the Black Sea Region. Those issues, which we are resolving jointly with Russia, as regards our cooperation and prevention of possible threats, I am convinced that they will positively affect the defense capacity of our country," the president said.

"In accordance with the legend of bilateral drills commanders and headquarters drilled the command of inter-branch groups of troops in line with non-standard scenarios of defensive and offensive actions. Work has been done at two command posts. The drills practiced the repulsion of the mock enemy aggression, including the settlement of disagreements by taking non-military measures," the presidential press service reported.

The 7th Russian military base of the Southern Military District has been deployed in the republic since 2009, under the agreement signed by the Russian and Abkhaz presidents that concerned the combined Russian military base in Abkhazia.

Russia and Abkhazia signed an agreement on creating a joint group of troops in 2015.

The joint group of troops includes a combined Russian military base deployed in the republic from the Russian side; two separate motor rifle battalions, artillery and aviation groups, as well as a separate special task unit from the Abkhaz side.