"War Trophies": How Russia Stole A Bunch Of Marine Corps Humvees

Task and Purpose, Jared Keller

Security, Middle East

So what happenned? 

Russia considered the Humvees “war trophies”...

Call it Grand Theft Auto: Abkhazia

Following the military invasion of Georgia in August 2008 to “liberate” the self-proclaimed independent republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russian forces turned up an unexpected prize: five U.S. Marine Corps Humvees.

The Humvees, belonging to the 6th Communications Battalion detachment of the 4th Marine Logistics Group’s Military Police Company, were seized along with what the Washington Times described as “sensitive communications and electronics equipment” from a shipping container in the critical Black Sea port of Poti, where they were awaiting transport back to the United States following a joint U.S.-Georgian military exercise the previous month that, apparently, did little to deter the looming invasion.

Here’s how the seizure went down, according to a contemporary account in The Independent:

In Poti, on the Black Sea, Russian forces blocked access to the naval and commercial ports this morning and towed the missile boat Dioskuria, one of the navy’s most sophisticated vessels, out of sight of observers. A loud explosion was heard minutes later.

Several hours later, an Associated Press photographer saw Russian trucks and armored personnel carriers leaving the port with about 20 blindfolded and handcuffed men riding on them. Port spokesman Eduard Mashevoriani said the men were Georgian soldiers.