Citizens crossing the Enguri Bridge from occupied Abkhazia are permitted to carry only limited quantities of petrol. Following Russia, occupied Abkhazia has also experienced an acute fuel shortage, as Russia is its main importer. This situation is linked to Ukrainian drone attacks on oil-refining infrastructure.

On 12 August, the Georgian authorities confirmed that fuel had entered occupied Abkhazia from Georgian-controlled territory. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the fuel had been brought into the occupied territory by a private business and that the state had nothing to do with it. However, according to him, such steps were taken within the framework of the applicable legislation, including the Law on Occupied Territories. In a statement made on 19 August, Kobakhidze also added that ‘For us, this is entirely a matter of restoring trust. For us, as the government, the main consideration here was not making money. Making money may be the objective of the business; our objective is to restore trust. The only reason why we made the decision to support this was precisely this vision — a step aimed at restoring trust.’

Despite Kobakhidze’s statement, the petrol was brought into Abkhazia by a business that is solely profit-oriented. The petrol was brought into occupied Abkhazia by Solidus LLC, which has been granted ‘special enterprise status’ for operating in the occupied territory. The company’s owner, Giorgi Arveladze, says that he brought not 3,000 but 680 tonnes of fuel into Abkhazia and has been doing business with Abkhazians for a long time. Accordingly, against the backdrop of the current crisis, the business has now shifted its activities towards the oil sector.

Despite Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement and confirmation of the fact, we still do not have clear answers to the main question: on what legal and political grounds was it possible to bring this particular cargo into Abkhazia, and was the special exception provided for by law applied?

Georgian legislation restricts economic activity in the occupied territories. Under Article 6 of the Law on Occupied Territories, a number of economic activities are prohibited; however, in exceptional cases, they may be carried out with the special consent of the Government of Georgia if this serves Georgia’s state interests, the peaceful resolution of the conflict, de-occupation, the restoration of trust between populations affected by war, or humanitarian purposes. Despite this provision, it remains unknown on what grounds petrol was brought into Abkhazia. It is essential to ensure greater transparency and public disclosure regarding this matter.

At this stage, although the identity of the petrol supplier to Abkhazia is known to the public, it remains unknown whether supplies are still continuing, what procedures were followed, and ultimately to whom and for what purpose the fuel was supplied.

It is particularly important to establish whether the fuel was used to meet the needs of the population of Abkhazia and critical infrastructure, or whether its ultimate use is intended for other military or strategic infrastructure controlled by Russia.

Assessments of this issue within Georgian society also differ. If the supply of petrol to the occupied territory is intended to alleviate the socio-economic situation of the population and is carried out within the framework established by law, it is in itself acceptable and welcome. On the other hand, given that Abkhazia is under Russian control and hosts Russian military bases, the supply of any significant energy resources requires strict oversight and open and transparent processes. Therefore, the main question is not merely whether Georgian law has been violated. Far more important is whether a mechanism has been established to prevent fuel supplied from Georgian territory from being used for Russia’s military or other strategic interests. If no such control exists, a decision intended to serve humanitarian purposes may produce an entirely different outcome.

This issue has become even more relevant after residents dissatisfied with the acute fuel shortage wrote on Abkhaz social media that petrol brought in from territory controlled by the Georgian authorities had not reached local petrol stations, asking where the fuel brought into the region was going. Some comments even stated that the fuel was not remaining in the region and was being used to serve Russian interests.

Taking into account the social and humanitarian needs of the population of Abkhazia can be an important instrument for the peaceful transformation of the conflict. However, such a policy will be effective only if it has a clear objective, a legal basis, transparent and public procedures, and humanitarian purposes.