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Wednesday, August 25, 2004 5:38:11 PM
Russia denies report of military buildup near Georgia
25.08.2004 10:20:00 GMT
Moscow/Tbilisi. (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday dismissed as "inventions" and "unfounded statements" allegations by Georgian politicians that Russia has moved more troops to the vicinity of the Georgian border.
A current Russian army exercise, which has been interpreted in Georgia as preparations for an invasion of the country's breakaway region of South Ossetia, is a routine operation that was planned in 2003 and "has nothing to do with current events around Tskhinvali," ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav Sedov told Interfax.
The exercise is being held at a training ground in North Ossetia, a Russian region bordering South Ossetia, he said.
"Maybe it is seen in Georgia as a large-scale exercise, but for Russia it is part of daily routine," he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee of the Georgian parliament, Givi Targamadze, urged his country to prepare for a Russian attack.
"It appears that we cannot avoid Russian aggression, and so we must stop it, which is by no means an unfeasible task if one takes into account the Chechen experience," Targamadze told a news conference in Tbilisi.
Three hours before Georgia withdrew its forces from the Georgian- South Ossetian conflict zone last week, "Russian troops in North Ossetia were readied for march and were to enter the territory of South Ossetia via the Roki Tunnel," he said.
"Airborne troops and up to 40 combat helicopters were moved to a military airfield near the village of Upper Gizel, in the immediate vicinity of the Roki Tunnel," he said.
There were still up to 80 armored vehicles at a Russian military base near Oktyabrskoye village that "are intended to be moved into South Ossetia," he said.
http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Geor&pg=0&id=5749932&req=
25.08.2004 10:20:00 GMT
Moscow/Tbilisi. (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday dismissed as "inventions" and "unfounded statements" allegations by Georgian politicians that Russia has moved more troops to the vicinity of the Georgian border.
A current Russian army exercise, which has been interpreted in Georgia as preparations for an invasion of the country's breakaway region of South Ossetia, is a routine operation that was planned in 2003 and "has nothing to do with current events around Tskhinvali," ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav Sedov told Interfax.
The exercise is being held at a training ground in North Ossetia, a Russian region bordering South Ossetia, he said.
"Maybe it is seen in Georgia as a large-scale exercise, but for Russia it is part of daily routine," he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee of the Georgian parliament, Givi Targamadze, urged his country to prepare for a Russian attack.
"It appears that we cannot avoid Russian aggression, and so we must stop it, which is by no means an unfeasible task if one takes into account the Chechen experience," Targamadze told a news conference in Tbilisi.
Three hours before Georgia withdrew its forces from the Georgian- South Ossetian conflict zone last week, "Russian troops in North Ossetia were readied for march and were to enter the territory of South Ossetia via the Roki Tunnel," he said.
"Airborne troops and up to 40 combat helicopters were moved to a military airfield near the village of Upper Gizel, in the immediate vicinity of the Roki Tunnel," he said.
There were still up to 80 armored vehicles at a Russian military base near Oktyabrskoye village that "are intended to be moved into South Ossetia," he said.
http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Geor&pg=0&id=5749932&req=
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