Occupied Abkhazia
Summarising Event of 2025 Military Exercises
On December 30, the de facto Ministry of Defence of occupied Abkhazia held a summarising event to review the military exercises and activities conducted in 2025. The meeting was chaired by the de facto Minister of Defence, Vladimir Anua. Participants included the so-called Chief of the General Staff, an ethnic Russian officer, Vladimir Savchenko, as well as heads of departments of the so-called Ministry of Defence, and unit commanders. The event was also attended by Temur Shergelia, Chair of the Defence Committee of the de facto parliament.
At the event, Vladimir Anua reviewed the outcomes of the military exercises and outlined priority directions for 2026. According to him, the de facto Ministry of Defence had accomplished numerous tasks aimed at enhancing the “state’s” defence capabilities and improving its response to external threats. Anua also presented awards to the winners of the military-sports game “Aiaaira,” which involves Abkhaz schoolchildren. In addition to “Aiaaira,” Abkhaz high school students also annually participate in the Russian military-patriotic game “Zarnitsa 2.”
Source: Apsnypress
Joint Exercises of the Military Agencies
On 24–25 December, a joint staff exercise of the military agencies was conducted under the supervision of the so-called Chief of the General Staff, Vladimir Savchenko. The exercise aimed to improve coordination among the divisions of Abkhazia’s so-called armed forces during a transition to wartime. According to the de facto Ministry of Defence, over the course of two days, the participants worked across the entire territory of occupied Abkhazia on tasks related to ensuring the armed security of the “state.”
Activities involving the heads of military agencies were also held earlier that month. On 4–5 December, an operational and mobilisation gathering took place, attended by representatives of the General Staff of the Russian Ministry of Defence. During the event, the participants visited the Tsebeldа training range located in occupied Abkhazia. The de facto president, Badra Gunba, was also present onsite.
So-called Chief of the General Staff, Russian Officer Vladimir Savchenko. Source: apsny.land
Military Exercises
The new training cycle of the so-called armed forces of occupied Abkhazia commenced in December 2025. On 24 December, another scheduled military exercise was held at the Tsebeldа training range, where Abkhaz servicemen trained in shooting and tactical maneuvering. According to a statement by the de facto Ministry of Defence, the exercises incorporate takeaways from the current armed conflicts, and are aimed at enhancing the combat readiness of personnel.
Source: apsny.land
Abkhaz Officers in Russia
Another group of officers from the de facto Ministry of Defence and the so-called General Staff completed a qualification enhancement course at a training center of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Abkhaz officers are regularly sent to Russia for training and continued development purposes. The objective of the program is to prepare officers in combined-arms, specialised, and tactical areas. During these courses, servicemen are also briefed on the experience garnered in Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, including new methods of warfare and emerging technologies.
Drafting Conscripts into Law Enforcement Agencies
In December 2025, the de facto law enforcement agencies of occupied Abkhazia drafted another cohort of conscripts into military service. On December 10, an oath-taking ceremony was held in the square of the de facto Ministry of Defence in Sukhumi. Prior to taking their oaths, the conscripts had completed a basic “junior fighter” (Russian: курс молодого бойца) course at the so-called defence ministry training center.
The so-called State Security Service of occupied Abkhazia also received a new group of conscripts. The head of the so-called State Security Service of Abkhazia, Dmitry Dbar, oversaw the ceremony. Dmitry Dbar is the son of Sergei Dbar, who was one of the top separatist commanders during the war in Abkhazia. Conscripts were also drafted into service by the so-called State Protection Service of occupied Abkhazia.
The Occupied Tskhinvali Region
Opening of a New Armoured Vehicles Training Facility
On December 8, 2025, a new training facility for armoured vehicles was put into operation in the occupied Tskhinvali region. This is a specialised facility where Ossetian and Russian soldiers train in the operation and use of heavy military equipment. Active construction works were underway throughout October and November of 2025. The de facto defence minister, a Russian officer named Yuri Yarovitsky, stated that he wanted the training facility to be ready by the start of the new training cycle.
Source: alaniamil.org
Military Exercises
Like occupied Abkhazia, the so-called armed forces of the occupied Tskhinvali region began their new training year on December 1. According to the so-called Ministry of Defence of the occupied region, the first week of December is designated as a week of combat readiness assessment, during which military personnel deepen both their theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
The military exercises continued throughout the month. On 26 December, fighters from the so-called Ministry of Defence’s “special forces” battalion trained in mountainous terrain. They also conducted exercises in mountaineering and alpinism using specialised equipment. Additionally, in December, Ossetian soldiers practiced operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
New Military Uniforms
On 8 December, the de facto Ministry of Defence announced that, following the Moscow visits of de facto defence minister Yuri Yarovitsky, a large shipment of Russian military uniforms had arrived in Tskhinvali. The statement noted that Ossetian soldiers would receive the exact same uniforms worn by “the special purpose units of the Russian Armed Forces.” It also specified that the shipment arrived in Tskhinvali in “six fully loaded Kamaz trucks.”
Source: alaniamil.org
Drafting of Conscripts
On the order of de facto President Alan Gagloev, the conscription period that began on 1 October continued into December. According to the de facto defence ministry, many young people were left out of the first wave of drafting into compulsory military service, despite their desire to fulfill both “civic and patriotic” duties. For this reason, on December 15, the de facto ministry received a second wave of conscripts.
Ossetian Mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine War
At the end of December, de facto Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev stated that approximately 2000 so-called “citizens” of South Ossetia were participating in the full-scale war in Ukraine on the Russian side. According to information confirmed through open sources, around 90 ethnic Ossetian fighters from the occupied Tskhinvali region have been killed since the start of the conflict. These figures do not include fighters currently considered missing in action, whose deaths have not yet been verified.
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The military agencies of occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions frequently use the word “planned” in their news releases about various activities, underlining that a given event is carried out according to a pre-developed plan. This choice of wording is intended to demonstrate the agencies’ competence, and to foster public confidence in their operations.