32 years since start of war in Georgia’s currently Russian-controlled Abkhazia

Today marks 32 years since the beginning of the war in Abkhazia, Georgia’s currently Russian-occupied region in the country’s west.

On August 14, 1992, the State Council of Georgia, led by Eduard Shevardnadze, ordered the deployment of Georgian Armed Forces into Abkhazia to restore order on the railways.

Upon their entry into Abkhazia, Georgian units encountered resistance from the Abkhaz Guard, an illegal paramilitary group formed by Vladislav Ardzinba, the then-Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia.

The confrontation began at a traffic police checkpoint in the village of Okhurei, Ochamchire district, where the Abkhaz forces opened fire on the Georgian troops.

The main phase of hostilities, which began on August 14, lasted for 13 months and 13 days, culminating in the fall of Sokhumi on September 27, 1993. The operation to capture Sukhumi, the main city of the region, involved not only Abkhaz units but also North Caucasian volunteers, Cossacks mobilized by the Russian government, and various units of the Russian Armed Forces.

The war had devastating consequences, forcing approximately 300,000 people, mostly Georgians, to flee Abkhazia. On the Georgian side, around 10,000 servicemembers and civilians lost their lives during the conflict.