Abkhaz Defense Minister: Abkhaz Artillery Opened Fire on Georgian Ships

Sultan Sosnaliev, Defense Minister of breakaway Abkhazia, told the Abkhaz cabinet of ministers that the Abkhaz border patrol prevented the Georgian coast guard from detaining a Turkish fishing boat on March 15, Apsnypress reports.

The incident took place at 22:30 Moscow time (GMT+3), near Eshera, and ended at 3:00 am Moscow time. The artillery division fired two shots after which the Georgian ships retreated, Sosnaliev said.

Aleksander Ankvab, prime minister of Abkhazia highly evaluated the actions of the defense ministry and added that “in the future fire should be opened” on all ships violating “Abkhaz territorial waters.” As for the Turkish vessels, Ankvab added that they “should inform the Abkhaz security services regarding their entry into Abkhaz territorial waters in advance.”

Sosnaliev claimed this Georgian “provocation” was intended to coincide with March 15, the 12 years anniversary of a failed attack of the Abkhaz forces on Sokhumi, which was then controlled by Georgian forces. Sosnaliev, a citizen of Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria republic, served as Abkhazia Defense Minister during that time as well.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)