Battle of Gagra was fought between Georgian forces and the Abkhaz secessionists aided by the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus ( CMPC ) militants from 1 to 6 October 1992 , during the War in Abkhazia . The allies , commanded by the Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev , captured the town of Gagra from the undermanned Georgian forces ( which were reportedly fewer in numbers but possessed more tanks and armored personnel carriers ) in a surprise attack , leading to an outbreak of ethnic cleansing of local Georgian population . The battle proved to be one of the bloodiest in the war and is widely considered to be a turning point in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict . The action , in which Russian commanders were suspected to have aided to the attackers , also resulted in a significant deterioration of the Georgian-Russian relations
outbreak of ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
Battle of Gagra