Russian Military Base to Be Constructed in Perevi

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

The village of Perevi of Upper Imereti region is emptying. Several days ago Russian occupying forces hoisted Ossetian and Russian flags over a checkpoint that was set up in the village. Locals are leaving their homes in order to avoid potential future threats.

Russian occupants appeared in Perevi soon after the war broke out in early August. The village is 20 kilometers away from Sachkhere district and closely borders Ossetian villages. Locals recall how a number of suspicious and un-welcomed guests were seen driving around, from one village to another. They did not make any contact with locals but that doesn’t mean they haven’t caused much harm.

“Even if you asked them any question, they never replied; they were busy with their own job. We are not in a position to complain about their bad behavior. They were moving around in silence. Then gradually they established checkpoints and finally settled in here. We doubted that they intended to create some problems for the village of Kalvata because there is a military base with modern equipment located in the village. However, they didn’t even stay there for a single day,” said Nana Shukakidze from Sachkhere.

Evidently Russian soldiers considered Perevi’s location to be more strategic and advantageous than other villages because it borders Ossetian villages. Despite the withdrawal from the buffer zone on October 10, they still remain in the village of Imereti region and have even reinforced their checkpoints.

“Two days ago, a Russian flag was raised over their checkpoint. It is natural for locals to be afraid and it is no surprise to observe many fleeing from the village. Children and the elderly are the first to be evacuated. Perevi public school has not yet started, and nobody can predict how things will develop in the village,” said Zurab Tsertsvadze, Sachkhere district governor.

Although only Russian soldiers were deployed in Perevi, recently Ossetians have also appeared. Locals claim that unlike the Russians soldiers, the Ossetians are aggressive.

“The Russians did not bother us at all. If they took one kilo of beans from us, they paid money for it. Meanwhile, the Ossetians attack us and grab products from people’s hands. They will rob your house if they need something. They have not let EU vehicles into the village for three days already. They seriously resist foreigners to meet local people. As far as we know, the Russians have already measured and mapped out territory for the construction of military base in Perevi. They intend to build an airport as well,” claimed locals.

There is no question that today the Russians are in complete control of Perevi. Members of the EU monitoring mission are being prevented from entering the village on a regular basis. Local people, who live off agriculture and cattle-breeding feel unprotected and are fleeing from their home to less precarious areas. 200 families (667 people) lived in the village before Russian aggression, and now only several people live there. A person will only stay in Perevi if he or she has no other place to go.