Occupied Abkhazia
Reconstruction of the Kodori Tunnel
As of 2025, construction works have been underway on a tunnel linking Abkhazia to the Kodori Gorge. The tunnel sits on the only road leading to the village of Lata that is accessible to vehicles. Until 2008, the contact line between separatist and Georgian central government forces ran through the territory of Lata.
On November 27, de facto President Badra Gunba inspected the tunnel and road construction sites, and met with members of the “Ptish” border guard unit of Abkhazia’s so-called State Security Service. The so-called State Security Service participates in maintaining effective control over the occupation line, alongside Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Abkhazian Officers in Russia
A new group of Abkhazian officers was sent to Russia on November 15. According to the de facto defence ministry, officers are regularly transferred to Russia for mandatory qualification enhancement programmes. They undergo combined-arms, specialized and tactical training, and study modern warfare methods and technologies.
Joint Military Exercises between Abkhazia and Russia
On November 4, Abkhazia’s de facto President Badra Gunba announced the completion of joint Abkhazian–Russian military exercises. He noted that the scale of the drills commencing in October 2025 were the largest to have been held in several years.
On October 17, the chief of the general staff of the de facto defence ministry, ethnic Russian officer Vladimir Savchenko, reviewed the active phase of the military exercises and assessed the performance of the participating personnel. According to Savchenko, the servicemen were “well prepared for the exercises and successfully carried out the assigned tasks.”
Gunba issued directives to the so-called Abkhazian armed forces for the new training year, outlining four key priorities: continued joint exercises with the Russian military and the deepening of interagency cooperation with Russia; territorial defence and professional training – reinforcing coordination among Abkhazia’s de facto law-enforcement bodies; improved mobilization procedures – improving the efficiency of staff and military commissariats; and strengthening combat training.
The Military-Sports Game for High-School Students “Aiaaira”
The military-sports game “Aiaaira” was held in occupied Abkhazia from October 28 to November 1. The event is among those organized and conducted with the aim of boosting “patriotic and combat spirit” among Abkhazian adolescents and schoolchildren. First held in 2004, it has since become an annual event for tenth and eleventh grade students.
The Occupied Tskhinvali Region
Conscripts Taking an Oath
On November 28, conscripts took an oath during a ceremony held in the occupied Tskhinvali region. De facto president Alan Gagloev addressed approximately 50 young recruits. The ceremony was also attended by the de facto minister of defence Yuri Yarovitsky. According to the de facto ministry of defence, during the ceremony, the parents of the conscripts “could not hold back their tears” and “a spirit of patriotism prevailed.”
Preparations for the New Training Season
Preparations for the 2026 combat training exercises culminated in late November in the occupied Tskhinvali region. As in occupied Abkhazia, the new training season for Tskhinvali’s de facto armed forces begins on December 1. De facto minister of defence Yuri Yarovitsky, an ethnic Russian, outlined the priorities for the upcoming year, which include the development of shooting ranges, the completion of construction on the tank training facility, and the construction of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) center.
Interview with the De facto Defence Minister
On November 27, a new interview with Yuri Yarovitsky was published, focusing primarily on the “Ossetian army” and the enrollment of Ossetian servicemen in Russian military educational institutions. The integration of the “Ossetian army” into the Russian Armed Forces has generated considerable discussion and concern within the occupied Tskhinvali region, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
When asked about increasing the size of the “armed forces” of the occupied Tskhinvali region, Yarovitsky avoided giving a direct response, instead stating that the current priority is raising the salaries of existing military personnel. He expressed hope that this issue will be resolved accordingly in 2026.
Yarovitsky also noted that quotas for Ossetian servicemen in Russian military academies are determined considering the capacity of those institutions. According to him, in 2025, five individuals were sent to two different military academies in St. Petersburg, while 10 were admitted to the residency programme at the St. Petersburg Military Medical Academy.
On November 14, the psychological testing of Ossetian military personnel was concluded. According to the de facto ministry of defence, these examinations determine their “level of development, military-professional orientation, organizational skills, communication characteristics, and their behavior within the army collective.” The process was overseen by Akhsar Dzhioev, a deputy de facto minister of defense.
Scheduled Inspections
On November 7, de facto defence minister Yuri Yarovitski visited facilities of strategic importance to the so-called armed forces. Particular attention was paid to military vehicle depots and warehouses. Yarovitski also inspected the construction of the UAV center and the Tskhinvali tank training facility, having already visited the UAV center site in October.
Combat Exercises
In October, artillery training sessions were also conducted, during which Ossetian servicemen practiced firing from a self-propelled howitzer and a 120 mm Soviet-made mortar. Additionally, the de facto ministry of defence carried out control exercises, where the results of the summer training period were summarized, and participants completed required standards for live-fire training, drills, tactical skills, and other performance criteria.
The Ossetian conscripts also took part in the events held in early October, where, according to the de facto ministry, they were being trained in various military disciplines. Strengthening “team spirit and mutual support” are named as some of the priorities of these activities. In addition, particular attention is given to “military-patriotic, cultural, and sports activities.”
