Russia is to spend almost $500m (£300m) next year reinforcing its military bases in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, the prime minister says. Vladimir Putin’s announcement came as he arrived in Abkhazia for talks. He said Russia was committed to defending and financing the small strip of land in Georgia’s …

Another assassination has taken place in the unstable Caucasus region of southern Russia. The Ingushetian construction minister Ruslan Amerkhanov was shot dead by two unknown gunman this morning who walked into his office in Magas not far from the capital, and opened fire. Ingushetia is suffering from a rebellion by …

SUKHUMI, Georgia Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the breakaway region of Abkhazia on Wednesday, pledging half a billion dollars to strengthen the defenses of the Moscow-backed rebel enclave. Russia recognized Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states last year after Russian troops …