The information disseminated by TV Formula, claiming that the Indonesian-flagged vessel SAVIR TIGER (IMO 9388730) allegedly entered one of the ports in occupied Abkhazia, does not correspond to the facts, as confirmed by the available navigational and technical data. Such a statement was released by the Maritime Transport Agency.

"It should be noted that the vessel was not scheduled to call at any Georgian port, as confirmed by the absence of any corresponding records in the Maritime Single Window (MSW) system.

According to the vessel`s movement data, SAVIR TIGER, which is 245.07 metres in length, departed the port of Yalova, Türkiye, on 16 August, transited the Bosphorus Strait on 18 August, and continued eastward across the Black Sea.

On 22 August, while outside Georgia`s territorial waters, approximately abeam of Pichori, the vessel`s AIS transmission was interrupted. For a certain period, no information regarding its movement was recorded in the LRIT system either. On 24 August, the vessel was already detected abeam of Samsun.

The temporary absence of an AIS or LRIT signal does not constitute, and cannot constitute, evidence that a vessel entered any port. The Maritime Transport Agency has repeatedly stated this. Drawing such a conclusion solely on the basis of this circumstance is entirely unfounded from a professional standpoint.

Moreover, a combined analysis of the vessel’s dimensions, movement trajectory and timeline does not confirm that it entered any port in Abkhazia.

The time required to travel from the Samsun area to the coast of Abkhazia and return would, in practical terms, account for approximately the entire one-day period during which no positional data for the vessel were available. Accordingly, there would have been virtually no realistic time remaining for entering a port, manoeuvring, berthing, carrying out possible cargo operations and subsequently departing again.

Furthermore, the coastal area of occupied Abkhazia does not have the appropriate port and berthing infrastructure required to safely accommodate and service a 245-metre vessel of this type and parameters.

Accordingly, we consider TV Formula`s presentation of an unverified claim as established fact to be misleading and factually unfounded. Such practices are particularly dangerous when the matter concerns occupied territories, regional security and maritime navigation.

Presenting journalistic assumptions as established facts on such sensitive issues not only disregards professional standards but also constitutes an attempt to deliberately mislead the public. We call on TV Formula to cease presenting unverified information based on incompetent or unreliable sources as fact and, prior to publishing such information, to verify it with the competent authorities and through reliable maritime data systems.