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

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

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. 

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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