Russia stepped up yesterday plans to build a significant military outpost in Georgia's break-away region of Abkhazia, announcing it would deploy the air force in the region as well as building a naval base.

In the latest announcement causing concern within Nato, Moscow said it wanted to deploy about 20 military aircraft at a former Soviet airfield near Gudauta. The move came just days after the Kremlin suggested it would seek to build a naval base at Ochamchira, giving Russia a fresh port in the Black Sea.