31 years since the fall of Sukhumi

Today marks 31 years since the fall of Sukhumi. The armed confrontation that began on August 14, 1992, escalated into a war that lasted 13 months and 13 days, culminating in the fall of Sukhumi on September 27, 1993.

Georgian units fought together with Abkhazians against hired fighters from the North Caucasus, Cossack militias, and unofficial units from the Russian military base stationed in Gudauta.

The decisive battle for Sukhumi was preceded by a ceasefire agreement reached on July 27 in Sochi regarding the withdrawal of military equipment from the conflict zone. However, this agreement was violated by the Abkhaz side on September 16.

On that day, separatists launched a large-scale attack on Sukhumi from the sea, air, and land access points. By this time, according to the agreement, Georgia had already withdrawn a significant portion of its heavy weaponry from the conflict zone. The poorly armed Georgian forces could not withstand the massive assault, and the city ultimately fell.

On the day of Sukhumi’s fall, Russian occupiers and Abkhaz separatists executed the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, Zhulii Shartava, Guram Gabiskiria, and Raul Eshba, who had refused to flee, alongside nearly 30 Georgians in front of the government house. Aleksandre Berulava went missing without a trace.

Sukhumi fell on September 27, Ochamchire on September 29, and Gali on September 30, leading to Abkhazia coming under separatist control.

The complete defeat of the Georgian armed forces resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population in the region, with around 300,000 survivors becoming internally displaced.