Today, September 27 2026 marked the 33rd anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi and the defeat of Georgian forces in Abkhazia in 1993.
The Georgian-Abkhaz War started in 1992 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union. The conflict stemmed from nationalist movements growing in Abkhazia; when Georgian forces entered the Autonomous Republic, officially to protect transport infrastructure, the troop movement triggered a full-scale conflict with Abkhaz forces backed by fighters from the North Caucasus and allegedly Russian forces.
The fall of Sokhumi is associated with Tbilisi’s loss of control over Abkhazia and the ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population, resulting in the displacement of more than 200,000 ethnic Georgians. An estimated 12,000 people were killed during the 13-month armed conflict.
Following the 2008 Russo-Georgian war, Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent state, but its international recognition remains limited.
Georgian government officials paid tribute at the Heroes Memorial in Tbilisi. Separately, the Abkhaz Council movement, a Georgian political/civic movement focused on Abkhazia and the interests of displaced Georgians from the region, organized another march and was joined by opposition representatives.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called 27 September an “utterly tragic day,” honored Georgian soldiers who died in Abkhazia, and said Georgia should restore its territorial integrity through peaceful means.
In addition, a pro-European “Saturday march” took place in Tbilisi on 26 September, with participants chanting “Abkhazia is Georgia” and expressing opposition to Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories, as well as solidarity with Ukrainians fighting Russian forces.