KIEV, Aug. 27 – Abkhazia, a small Russia-backed enclave in Georgia that was recognized Tuesday by Moscow as an independent state, said it could harbor some of Russia’s naval forces in the Black Sea.

Ukraine, where most of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is currently based, recently made it more difficult for the battleships to cross the Ukrainian border. Kiev also indicated Russian battleships will have to leave the base in Sevastopol for good when the lease agreement expires in 2017.