Two Russian coast guard boats docked in Ochamchire on December 11 “to protect Abkhazia’s maritime borders,” Yuri Zvirik, commander of the Russian Federal Security Service’s boarder guard unit deployed in the breakaway region, said.

Port in Ochamchire will serve as a base for Sobol and Mangust types of coast guard boats.

“These two new boats will provide security of vessels entering into the Abkhaz territorial waters,” Zvirik said.

In September when it first emerged that Russia intented to deploy patrol boats in the breakaway Abkhazia, it was reported that total of ten such boats would be sent to the region.

RIA Novosti news agency reported on December 11, quoting the breakaway region's foreign minister Sergey Shamba that Russia planned to deploy two more Russian patrol boats.

Meanwhile on December 12 presidential election is held in the region in which five candidates, including incumbent leader Sergey Bagapsh, are running.

Recent reports from the breakaway region say that there are total of about 127,000 registered voters in Abkhazia.