In a move that underscores Russia’s long-term imperial ambitions in the South Caucasus, Moscow has announced the establishment of a base for its Black Sea Fleet in the occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia. The facility, to be located in the port city of Ochamchira, is officially described as a “material and technical base,” but its strategic implications are unmistakable. Russia invaded and occupied two regions of Georgia — Abkhazia and South Ossetia — in 2008.