December 24, 2024

Power for Abkhazia


Power for Abkhazia
Abkhaz flag in the partially recognized republic's president's office. APSNYPRESS, Telegram.

On December 21, Badra Gunba, acting president of the Russian-occupied Abkhazia, announced he would ask Russia for a humanitarian electricity supply due to the collapse of Abkhazia's energy system. The request comes as relations between Russia and the partially-recognized republic have soured.

Abkhazia is a breakaway region of the Republic of Georgia. It took form during Georgia's struggle for independence and the 1992-94 war in Abkhazia. Since then, it has been supported and subsidized by Russia, which seeks to destabilize Georgia by encouraging separatism and ethnic strife. During the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, Russia occupied the region and recognized it as an independent state, an act which contravenes international law and convention.

In November, Abkhazian authorities signed an investment agreement with Russia, and protests over the deal soon followed. Five opposition activists were arrested, sparking a political crisis in Abkhazia. Shortly afterward, President Aslan Bzhania resigned. His vice president, Gunba, was appointed acting president until elections to be held February 15, 2025. The agreement with Russia was not ratified. On December 6, Abkhaz authorities announced a nearly-full halt on Russian funding. 

Abkhazia experiences power shortages every year from November to April. Its key source of electricity is the Inguri Power Station, a hydroelectric facility that relies on the water from the Jvari Reservoir. Abkhazia also receives electrical power from Russia. In October, Abkhaz authorities asked Russia for free electricity supplies for 2025. They received no response.

On December 11, the Inguri Power Station shut down, causing large power outages in occupied Abkhazia. Gunba said, "Power outages for 9 to 11 hours a day are a death sentence to the health and education systems. This puts the lives and health of our children, elderly, and socially vulnerable groups at risk." He warned, "Abkhazia may face a humanitarian catastrophe."

President Gunba blamed the energy system collapse on the November protests and the subsequent deterioration of relations with Russia. He asked the citizens of the Russian-occupied territories to unite. He added, "It is fundamentally important not to harm relations with Abkhazia's allies. We don't have many of them. And the main one is the Russian Federation."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "When [Abkhazia] asks, there will be a response, of course. Abkhazia is a country native to us. We recognize it as a state (...) Naturally, together with us."

You Might Also Like

Good Sharlot
  • November 28, 2024

Good Sharlot

The Patriarch of Moscow, a close Kremlin ally, forgives a dissenting singer. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955