Aslan Bzhania, the self-styled president of Russian-backed Abkhazia, said an agreement had been signed for a permanent naval base in the Ochamchira region.
Three of the Black Sea littoral states are NATO members - Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
The news of the Russian base at Ochamchira, where the Soviet Union had a naval base, could indicate Russia is seeking alternatives to Sevastopol while also expanding its military presence down the Black Sea coast towards Turkey.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia had withdrawn the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from its main base in annexed Crimea due to Ukrainian attacks.
At his meeting with Bzhania on Wednesday, Putin did not say anything about a naval base.
Persons:
Izvestiya Putin, Vladimir Putin, Aslan Bzhania, Bzhania, Izvestiya, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones
Organizations:
Abkhazia Abkhaz, Ukrainian, Russian Navy, NATO, Soviet, Street Journal, Thomson
Locations:
Abkhazia, Russia, Sevastopol MOSCOW, Georgian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Ukraine, Ochamchira, South Ossetia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, Soviet Union, Crimea