Russian Passenger Jet Lands at Sokhumi Airport as Official Tbilisi Remains Silent
On February 7, a Russian passenger jet flying from Moscow Vnukovo airport landed at Sokhumi airport in occupied Abkhazia. According to Russian authorities, this was a test flight, with the regular flights between Russia and Abkhazia expected to begin in early summer. Although this is the first flight in 32 years to the airport which had remained closed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), several days after the flight there still has been no official reaction from the Georgian Dream government.
News of the flight caused an outcry in Georgian society and opposition. The flight, originating from Moscow, is seen as a direct challenge to Georgia’s territorial integrity and its longstanding policy of non-recognition of the occupied region.
Giorgi Kandelaki, former MP and project manager at the Soviet Past Research Laboratory addressed the opening of Sokhumi’s Airport, stating that for 30 years, it remained closed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) due to Georgia’s firm stance. He noted that ICAO along with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) “can impose significant restrictions on the state registering an aircraft that carries out such flights.” He argued that the flight could not have happened “without some form of consent from the Georgian state.” He urged the GD authorities to ban flights for aircraft companies that will carry out flights from Moscow to Sokhumi.
The opposition party Gakharia for Georgia slammed the GD government, stating that “the Ivanishvilis’s regime has taken no action in response to Russia’s illegal takeover and operational launch of Sokhumi Airport.” The statement claimed that Georgian authorities not only failed to make a formal statement but also “had refrained from reaching out to Western partners, whose efforts have upheld the policy of non-recognition of the occupied territories and supported Georgia’s sovereignty.” The party urged Western allies to “assess the Kremlin’s latest move against Georgia” and called on the Georgian society to “evaluate the deliberate damage inflicted on the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Ivanishvili’s regime.”
Paata Zakareishvili, former State Minister for Civil Equality and Reconciliation, explains Tbilisi’s lack of reaction by Georgia’s alleged participation in Russia’s sanctions circumvention scheme. Zakareishvili is sure that the opening of the airport in Sukhumi following the full-scale war in Ukraine is not accidental. Russia is facing economic problems and the Western world supports sanctions against Moscow, he told Ekho Kavkaza. Therefore, the Kremlin needs to diversify ways of getting goods by bypassing sanctions, and according to the Zakareishvili, Georgia allegedly plays one of the key roles in this process.
The Russian-backed reconstruction of Sokhumi airport has been controversial. In October 2023, the Kremlin-backed regime in occupied Abkhazia and Russian Infrastructure Development LLC signed an agreement for its reconstruction. However, the project has been plagued financial disputes. It was subsequently transferred from the Russian company initially involved Aero Management, to another one – Infrastructure Development LLC, linked to Rashid Nurgaliyev, the son of the former Russian Interior Minister. The project has been marked by delays, with a technical flight originally scheduled for July 2024.
The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency told Civil.ge that no airline can legally operate international flights to or from the airport until Georgia makes a decision in accordance with international civil aviation norms. “If any airline starts flights to Sokhumi, it will violate both international civil aviation standards and Georgia’s law on occupied territories, which will complicate the airline’s operations on international and Georgian routes,” the statement said.
Civil.ge has contacted the ICAO for a comment regarding the flight and will publish it as soon as we receive it.
The flight from Moscow carried Badra Gunba, the former “acting president” of the occupied Republic of Abkhazia and one of contenders for the post of “president” of the occupied region, who arrived from Moscow following meetings with Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and Minister of Transport, Roman Starovoit. The visit took place in the run-up to the so-called “presidential elections” scheduled for February 15. Gunba is widely believed to be Russia’s favored candidate.
It also coincided with the ongoing electricity crisis in the occupied region. Based on Russian state-owned Ria Novosti, Gunba met with Russia’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Evgeny Grabchak, to discuss the matter. “I believe we will definitely find a solution together for the current shortage issues,” stated Grabchak during the meeting.
According to Russian media outlet Meduza, during Gunba’s visit to Moscow, the Kremlin vowed that it would resume financial aid to Abkhazia. As part of the renewed assistance, Moscow pledged to transfer 343 million rubles (approx. $3.6 million) to Sokhumi to “cover salary payments for public sector employees.”
Also Read:
- 18/09/2023 – Sokhumi Wants to Open Airport in 2025
- 02/08/2023 – US State Department: “The United States Considers Sokhumi Airport to be Part of Georgia’s Airspace”
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)