Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on May 31 it had sent its unarmed Railway Forces to Abkhazia to rehabilitate the breakaway region’s railway and road infrastructure.

“In accordance to the Russian President’s decision to render humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Abkhazia and after a request of the authorities of the [Abkhaz] Republic efforts have been put into operation to rehabilitate road infrastructure. Units and special equipment of the Russian Federation’s Railway Forces (which are not armed) are engaged in works,” the Russian MoD said in a press release.

The Russian MoD’s Railway Forces is a unit tasked with protection and reconstruction of the railway and transport infrastructure.