Russian Lower House Ratifies Agreement to Combine Forces With Abkhazia

The Russian lower house of parliament adopted a bill ratifying an agreement to combine the Russian Armed Forces with those of Abkhazia, according to background documentation published Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian government issued an enactment on July 11 to approve and submit for President Vladimir Putin’s ratification of the combined forces agreement signed on November 21, 2015.

"In peacetime, a task force comprised of the sides' representatives undertake the organization of interoperability between the military departments included in the combined forces," the text of the documentation reads.

The combined forces include a Russian military base in Abkhazia and the Caucasus republic's two motor rifle battalions, an artillery and aviation groups, as well as a special-purpose detachment.