On the night following the 10 October, the hum of drones punctured by explosions led to panic on Abkhazian social media as Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on the neighbouring city of Sochi.
Abkhazia’s Defence Ministry reported the next day that debris from a drone had fallen near the village of Gantiadi (Tsandripsh) in the Gagra District along the river Psou. However, authorities have not commented on residents’ claims on social media that there were multiple drones and private property was damaged.
Abkhazian authorities have previously played down reports of drones, only commenting hours after sightings. After a mass drone incursion in March, a statement was released after hours of footage circulating online.
OC MediaLana Agrba
‘The situation is fully under the control of the security forces and government authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia’, Abkhazia’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement published on 11 October.
On social media, one resident claimed, ‘I personally saw three UAVs. One was shot down right near my house’.
The hum of drones alongside explosions was reportedly heard for hours.
One social media user alleged, ‘Debris fell on the roof of our neighbor’s house; we got hit too — our house is in Tsandripsh. Everyone was in shock that night’.
Another relayed that they had heard the attacks for five hours: ‘In Tsandripsh, from midnight until 3 AM we heard massive, nonstop explosions—everything was rumbling. Then, until 5 AM, there were sporadic explosions’.
No one seems to have been hurt in Abkhazia during the incident.
While the Abkhazian authorities have urged calm, one social media user commented, ‘unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid panic’.
The agency has asked residents to report the discovery of any drone debris to the emergency services and not to approach.
Some residents were voicing questions about the authorities’ preparations as Ukraine’s drone campaign has become part of Kyiv’s strategy in the war.
On social media, one user highlighted that ‘if these drones are shot down, they could fall on residential buildings. Does our government have any insurance in case of such an event?’
It is not the first time that drones from Ukraine’s attacks on Russia have been found in Abkhazia.
Abkhazia first reported that their airspace had been violated by drones in July 2025. In March, an ‘unprecedented’ barrage of as many as 30 were detected, authorities said, claiming the vast majority of them were shot down by Abkhazian and Russian air defences working together.
Ukraine has openly stated that it considers Russian military sites in Abkhazia, such as the still-unfinished naval base in Ochamchire (Ochamchira), valid targets, while Abkhazia has supported Russia’s military efforts.
The incident came ahead of pre-planned military exercises featuring Abkhazian and Russian troops. President Badra Gunba said the drill plans were developed this year ‘taking into account the prospects for the evolution of the military-political situation’ in the region.
The exercises started on 12 October and will last until 16 October.
Gunba noted that, for the first time, there are a wide range of tasks at sea and there are also plans to test new Russian military systems.
‘The exercises, just like last year, are large-scale. Thousands of soldiers, officers, and reservists are participating. I hope that the skills and experience gained during these exercises will enable us to coordinate the actions of various units and formations’, noted Gunba.
For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.