'Sanctioned goods will be transported to Russia via Sukhumi airport' – Georgian expert's opinion
Sukhumi airport and sanctions circumvention
Commenting on the reopening of the restored Sukhumi Airport, Georgian conflict analyst Paata Zakareishvili is convinced that it will be used to transport sanctioned goods to Russia and that this was pre-approved by the Georgian authorities.
Zakareishvili expressed this opinion during a broadcast of the TV programme Free Studio. According to him, the Georgian government’s silence on the issue is due to its vested interest in ensuring that as many goods as possible pass through Georgian territory.
The Sukhumi Airport had been non-operational for 30 years, ever since the end of the 1992–93 Georgian-Abkhaz war. However, in 2023, it was announced that the Russian company Razvitie Infrastruktury would undertake its reconstruction. On 7 February 2025, a test flight from Moscow arrived at the renovated airport, carrying 21 passengers, including Abkhazian presidential candidate Badra Gunba.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) does not recognise Sukhumi Airport as an international airport, as Abkhazia itself remains an unrecognised republic. As a result, no international flights—except those from Russia—will operate through it.
“The restoration of Sukhumi Airport has been discussed for a long time. Russia wanted to resume some flights during the Sochi Olympics [in 2014], but even then, it hesitated. Now the airport has been reconstructed exclusively for domestic flights, meaning planes from Sukhumi can only fly to airports within Russia and vice versa. There’s only one logical conclusion: the transportation of sanctioned goods will begin from Sukhumi,” says Paata Zakareishvili.
In his view, this is a situation where the Georgian government benefits:
“These goods will pass through Georgian territory, which is why I am deeply convinced that this was pre-approved by the Georgian authorities.”
The expert cites recent statistical data showing that Georgia’s exports and imports have increased two to three times:
“Accordingly, we need to clearly determine where these goods are going and how they are being transported. And we will see that a significant portion of them is heading to Abkhazia. And if it’s not yet, it soon will—once Russia starts using this airport.”
