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Russian authorities have started delivering “humanitarian” electricity to the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia to alleviate a severe energy crisis, Interfax reported Monday, citing the region’s energy and transportation ministry.
Earlier, authorities in Abkhazia requested Moscow to provide “social” energy supplies for 2025 but said they never received a response. According to them, Russia suspended financial aid in September and ordered the cash-strapped region to buy Russian energy at market rates.
Energy and Transportation Minister Dzhansukh Nanba told Russian media last week that Abkhazia had only been able to purchase 165 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for 655 million rubles ($6.3 million) since November, forcing authorities to implement rolling blackouts.
On Monday, Nanba announced that Russia had agreed to supply the 327 million kilowatt-hours Abkhazia requested for 2025. However, local energy authorities said that despite the agreement, rolling blackouts — reduced to two hours during the day and two hours at night — would still be needed.
Acting Abkhazian President Badra Gunba on Sunday thanked Russia for the assistance, saying the Kremlin had “once again extended a helping hand” following his appeal for humanitarian energy aid.
Earlier, Gubna instructed energy authorities to request additional energy deliveries from Georgia, which also supplies power to the breakaway territory.
The energy crisis comes amid political turbulence in Abkhazia, where opposition protests last month ousted the Moscow-backed leader and forced lawmakers to cancel a contentious Russian investment deal. On Thursday, a lawmaker was gunned down outside parliament over a reported argument about regulations on crypto mining.
