It is planned to evict Abkhazians living adjacent to Babushari Airport in Sukhumi. According to the Abkhaz Telegram channel, the so-called First Vice Prime Minister of the occupied region, Minister of Energy Jansukh Nanba, met with locals to discuss the compensation they will receive in case of eviction.
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Several tens of people protested at the meeting, stating they would not agree to leave their homes even in exchange for compensation.
Jansukh Nanba stated that misinformation was being spread regarding the eviction of the population, but he did not deny that the airport's expansion was indeed planned.
"The purpose of the meeting was to inform the residents of the village [Babushara] about the plans for the reconstruction and development of the airport and its infrastructure. We informed the people about the current stage of the renovation works, including the restoration of the runway and the dismantling of unusable buildings.
Additionally, we discussed the long-term development plan of the airport, specifically the second stage, which involves expanding into the southern part of the airport territory. The existing area is insufficient to build a modern airport that meets all international requirements. Therefore, a long-term development plan, known as the second stage, is being considered.
We deemed it important to involve village representatives in the discussion of this issue," Nanba said.
According to the de facto minister, following the meeting, it was agreed that a group of 5-6 villagers would be involved in the work of the coordination headquarters under the leadership of Vice President Badri Gunba. This decision aims to take into account the interests of the people living in the southern part of the airport.
The agreement between the governments of Russia and de facto Abkhazia on the restoration of the Vladislav Ardzinba Sukhumi International Airport was signed in June 2023.
The airport will be restored by Infrastructural Development LLC, which belongs to Rashid Nurgaliev (junior), the son of the former Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia and currently the First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Rashid Nurgaliev. The company was established on July 10, 2023, and is registered in Moscow.
The de facto government of Abkhazia has handed over the airport to the investor for 49 years. According to the public-private partnership agreement, the investor will renovate the 3 100-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway, enabling it to accommodate modern Russian and foreign-made aircraft. Additionally, plans include constructing a new passenger terminal and renovating the historic airport building.
The airport is scheduled to begin operations in December 2024.
