Georgia: Russia to Scale Down Military Presence in Georgia's Breakaway Regions

Russia may cut the number of troops it plans to deploy in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian media reported on May 19. Moscow initially planned to station an estimated 7,400 troops in both territories.

"Perhaps it doesn't make sense to station the bases in full in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Alexander Kolmakov as saying. Speaking at a May 19 news conference, Kolmakov added that part of the contingent could be deployed in Russia, near the borders with the two separatist entities.

Kolmakov said that Russian officials remained in talks with Abkhaz and South Ossetian authorities on the transfer of land for the construction of company-level training grounds, which would be used for the training of personnel deployed at the Russian bases, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. Earlier in May, de facto Abkhaz president Sergei Bagapsh announced plans to sign a pact with Moscow covering the terms of deployment of Russian troops in the territory.