A unit of Russian coast guard boats will be deployed in Ochamchire to protect Abkhaz “territorial waters” in mid-November, Yuri Zvirik, commander of the Russian Federal Security Service’s boarder guard unit deployed in the breakaway region, said on September 28.

“Number of modern boats will join our family to become reliable guards of the Abkhaz borders,” Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported quoting Zvirik.

Russian coast guard vessel, Novorossiysk, which was sent to patrol the breakaway region’s waters on September 21, will be joined with Mangust and Sobol types of patrol boats. Russian reports said that total of ten boats would be deployed in Ochamchire.

Novorossiysk docked in Sokhumi on September 27 as part of ceremonies marking, what Abkhazia calls “the day of liberation of Sokhumi.” On this day, sixteen years ago, Abkhaz forces, backed by their allies from Russia, captured Sokhumi after almost two weeks of siege.

Meanwhile in Tbilisi, as usually the day of fall of Sokhumi was marked with wreath laying ceremony at the memorial of Georgian fallen soldiers.

New Defense Minister, Bacho Akhalaia, told journalists after paying tribute to the Georgian fallen soldiers at the memorial on September 27: “It is our duty – of our structure [MoD] and of the entire society and of the state – to accomplish this deed for which these people [fallen soldiers] sacrificed their lives.”