Russian tourist Amina Bikbova, 26, has been found dead in Abkhazia after local fruit vendor Edgar Abukhba confessed to choking her.
The 25-year-old suspect told law enforcement officers that he killed Bikbova during an argument at a rented house in the village of Psakhara before dumping her body near a country road.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia stated on September 26 that Abukhba was taken into custody and confessed shortly after the discovery of the victim.
Abkhazia is a region located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the South Caucasus. Gagra, where Bikbova was vacationing, is a resort town situated along the coast that attracts visitors for its beaches and mild climate.
Extended stay in Gagra
Bikbova, a resident of Orenburg Oblast in Russia, had traveled to Gagra with a female friend for a vacation. The pair had originally planned to return home on September 24, 2026.
On September 23, Bikbova contacted her mother, Gulsina Bikbova, to report that she had decided to extend her vacation by several days. She made arrangements to prolong her stay at their rented accommodation.
According to reports, Bikbova decided to stay in Gagra after meeting Abukhba, who lived and worked as a fruit seller in the town. Abukhba had invited Bikbova for coffee, after which the two began exchanging text messages.
The Telegram channel Baza reported that Bikbova's companion tried to persuade her not to meet a stranger in a foreign country, warning that doing so could be dangerous. Bikbova nevertheless went to meet Abukhba that evening.
Before going out of contact, Bikbova sent her traveling companion a video message from Abukhba's home. Her mother stated that the video showed a table prepared with sliced fruit and vegetables while a dog ran around the room.
On September 24, Bikbova failed to return to her lodging. Her companion confirmed that Bikbova's passport and personal belongings remained in the room, and that she had taken only her mobile phone to the meeting.
Discovery of the body
When repeated attempts to reach Bikbova by phone failed, her family alerted local law enforcement authorities. Initial inquiries by police indicated that Bikbova had entered an unfamiliar vehicle on the day before her disappearance.
Investigators determined that Bikbova and Abukhba boarded a taxi together on the evening of September 23 and traveled to a rented house in Psakhara, a village located in the Gagra District. An argument broke out between them, during which Abukhba choked her to death in a fit of rage.
Abukhba told investigators that he decided to dispose of the body the following day. On September 24, he borrowed a vehicle from an acquaintance, placed Bikbova's body inside, and drove toward the Bzyb Gorge area.
The Bzyb Gorge is a mountain canyon formed by the Bzyb River in western Abkhazia. Abukhba stated that he originally intended to drown the body in the river but lacked the physical strength to carry out the plan. Instead, he concealed the body in bushes near a rural road and left the scene.
Abukhba also disposed of Bikbova's mobile phone and other personal items by throwing them into a trash container. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that an investigative team and forensic experts gathered evidence at the scene, with the Gagra District Prosecutor's Office conducting the formal criminal investigation.
Warnings from family and friends
Bikbova's mother, Gulsina Bikbova, said the initial meeting between her daughter and Abukhba occurred after the two women returned from a mountain excursion. Abukhba offered to buy the tourists coffee, prompting Bikbova's friend to urge her not to seek adventure.
Despite the explicit warning, Bikbova left to meet Abukhba later that evening. Following her disappearance, Gulsina Bikbova contacted an acquaintance living in Abkhazia for assistance.
The acquaintance traveled directly to Abukhba's home to inquire about Bikbova's whereabouts. Abukhba told the visitor that the young woman had already left his residence.
Previous violent criminal record
Law enforcement records revealed that Abukhba had previously been convicted of a violent attack on another Russian tourist. In 2019, when he was 17 years old, Abukhba led a female Russian acquaintance to a burned-out government building complex in Sukhum.
During that incident, Abukhba struck the woman repeatedly on the head with his hands and stones before raping her. He then stole her mobile phone and jewelry before abandoning her.
Sukhum, also known as Sukhumi, serves as the administrative capital and main urban center of Abkhazia. The victim survived the 2019 assault and testified against Abukhba in court.
Abukhba was originally sentenced to nine years in a strict-regime penal colony for the attack. However, he was released after serving four and a half years.
According to the Supreme Court of Abkhazia, Abukhba's sentence was reduced after his confinement regime was altered from a strict-regime facility to a general-regime colony. Under local regulations, sentence length in a general-regime colony is calculated at a rate of one day served counting as two days of the sentence.
