Sea route launched between Russia and Abkhazia
Russia-Abkhazia sea route
A new sea route has been launched between Sochi and Sukhum, aimed at easing pressure on roads during the peak holiday season, when many Russians travel to Abkhazia for vacation.
The passenger vessel Cosmonaut Pavel Popovich, with a capacity of 120 people, made its maiden voyage on 6 August, completing the 145 km journey from Sochi to Sukhum in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
At the port in Sukhum, the ship was met by none other than Abkhazian president Badr Gunba and Sergey Kiriyenko, a senior Kremlin official overseeing Abkhazia policy.
Security measures were tightened for the occasion. According to the opposition Telegram channel Aiashara, all Abkhaz vessels were ordered to leave the port area ahead of the ceremony.
Talks about launching a sea route between Russia and Abkhazia had been ongoing for years. Initially, the plan was for the cruise liner Prince Vladimir to handle the route, but operating such a large vessel was deemed unprofitable. In the end, officials opted for a high-speed hydrofoil of the Kometa class to run between Sochi and Sukhumi.
The vessel is expected to operate year-round, including in winter, as the Black Sea is relatively calm in Abkhazia’s waters. According to the boat’s captain, Konstantin Shvydkoy, “there are no extreme storms here.”
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