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Open Caucasus Media brings you news, commentary, multimedia, and podcasts from the North and South Caucasus.

A mandarin tree. For illustrative purposes. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Abkhazia

Economic crisis looms in Abkhazia amid electricity shortages, ban of mandarins

Nate Ostiller

••4 min read

The fallout from Abkhazia’s political crisis, which led to the downfall of President Aslan Bzhaniya in late November, has since evolved into one that impacts the economy. Over the last week, Abkhazia was hit with twin economic setbacks stemming from Russia, its primary financial benefactor. On 6 December, Russia banned the import of mandarins from Abkhazia, one of its top exports. Following this, electricity shortages, exacerbated by the prevalence of illegal crypto mining and the loss

Abkhazia

Wounded Russian soldiers based in Abkhazia claim they were forcibly sent to Ukraine

Elizaveta Chukharova

••2 min read

According to a video message shared on Telegram on Wednesday, soldiers from the 7th Russian Military Base in Abkhazia are being sent to the frontlines of Ukraine instead of receiving treatment at a military medical commission. The soldiers, who belong to military unit 09332, allege they were transferred to the Afipsky district of Krasnodar Krai where they believed they were to attend a medical commission. ‘They are taken to Luhansk, ostensibly to the rear area, but actually to the dugout

Abkhazia

Abkhazian Parliament rejects Russian investment agreement

OC Media

••2 min read

The Abkhazian Parliament has voted against the ratification of the agreement on Russian investment in Abkhazia. Twenty-three MPs attended the extraordinary session of parliament on Tuesday, of which 19 voted against the agreement, while three abstained. The session was held after a letter with 19 signatures was sent to the Speaker of Parliament, Lasha Ashuba. According to regulations, an extraordinary parliamentary session must be held if a third of the MPs — or 12 MPs — request such a s

Abkhazia

Explainer | How a controversial investments agreement led to the downfall of the Abkhazian president

OC Media

••9 min read

In the early hours of Tuesday, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhaniya announced his resignation after days of protests centred around a controversial agreement on Russian investments. Bzhaniya still intends to run in the upcoming presidential elections, which are expected to take place in February. Over the course of less than two weeks, discontent over the proposed legislation grew and morphed into a protest movement that brought down the Abkhazian government. On 30 October, an agreement on