brown marmorated stink bug

Russian official repeats allegation that Lugar lab is used for biowarfare

By | April 26th, 2019|Categories: Security|Tags: , , , |

Rashid Nurgaliev, deputy chief of Russia's Security Council. (Photo by the administration of de facto president of South Ossetia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Russia has once again accused a medical research facility in the republic of Georgia of launching weaponized bugs into territory under its control. "This is a matter of national security," said deputy chief of [...]

Gali residents take up cigarette smuggling after failed harvest

By | October 14th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Enguri Bridge. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The spread of the deadly brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has caused such devastation of orchards that locals have been forced to return to illegal businesses, such as smuggling of goods, particularly cigarettes, from breakaway Abkhazia to Georgia proper. This illegal trade was rife a decade and half ago but [...]

Russia bans fruit and vegetables from Abkhazia, which in turn blocks same products from Georgia

By | April 1st, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Breakaway vice premier Aslan Kobakhia finds it strange that Russia has imposed a blockade only on Abkhazia, not Georgia. (aiaaira.com.) TBILISI, DFWatch–From April 2, Moscow will prohibit the import of fruit, vegetables and herbs from breakaway Abkhazia, which heavily relies on selling agricultural commodities to Russia. Sokhumi responded by imposing an embargo […]

Georgians in Abkhazia cancel harvest, claim pesticide withheld by regime

By | November 1st, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

(Photo by Dominik K. Cagara.) GALI, DFWatch–Georgian hazelnut farmer in Abkhazia canceled this year’s harvest after de facto authorities failed to hand out vital pesticide to battle a bug. The bug has already ravaged farms in Western Georgia but the damage is even worse in the breakaway region […]