>Russia Builds Up Sea Border Patrols Around Abkhazia

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© RIA Novosti. Vyacheslav Popov

Russian news agency Ria Novosti reports that the fifth Russian Mangust class patrol boat has arrived in Abkhazia to help the former Georgian republic guard its maritime border in the Black Sea.

A Russian coast guard division, based at the Black Sea port of Ochamchira in Abkhazia, is expected to have up to 10 Mangust and Sobol class vessels in the future to patrol 215 kilometers (about 133 miles) of the Abkhazian maritime border.

Georgia considers Abkhazia and its waters part of Georgian territory, and has declared any unauthorized maritime shipments of goods to be illegal. It has already seized a number of cargo vessels heading to Abkhazia. But Georgia lack any naval military power to prevent Russians sending partrol ships and patroling Abkhazian waters.