Tbilisi Contends Attack Was Hostile, Russia Denies
Everything
A panel of international experts invited by the Georgian Foreign
Ministry to review an August 6 incident, during which an aircraft
entered Georgian airspace and dropped or jettisoned a missile, has
determined the aircraft came from Russian air space, according to
the Associated Press.
Radio Free Europe reports the panel says the missile was a
Russian-designed KH-58, which is designed to take out radar
systems. The panel notes Georgia's air force "does not possess
aircraft equipped with or able to launch" such a missile.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the panel found a
single aircraft entered Georgian airspace from Russian territory a
total of three times. One lasted less than 60 seconds, the other
two lasted 11 minutes each. The third trip took the aircraft deep
into Georgian territory.
The group did not identify the aircraft, which Georgian
officials insist was a Russian Su-24 jet (type shown above and
below), or address the fact the missile -- which did not explode --
landed near the village of Tsitelubani.
Russia denies any of its aircraft flew into Georgia and accused
Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, of theatrics and staging a
provocation when demands for an explanation were made. Tbilisi
contends the attack was hostile in nature.
"The conclusions of the group of experts has confirmed the facts
of the Georgian side," Foreign Ministry spokesman David Dondua told
reporters at a news conference.
"There will be bilateral talks with Russia, which are taking
place at our request," Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili
said. "Today (Thursday) we will share the evidence we have with a
high-ranking group of Russian experts and listen to what they have
to say. They have many questions to answer."
Zarina Gabiyev, a Russian Embassy spokesperson in Tbilisi, said
she had no comment on the report. But did say a group of Russian
military experts would be joining the investigation Thursday.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili believes Russia is less
than pleased with his determination to bring Georgia into NATO and
the European Union, according to the AP.
"The proximity of this attack to Georgia's separatist South
Ossetia region and the violation of Georgia's airspace over the
zone of conflict underscore the pressing need for progress toward
peaceful resolution of the South Ossetia conflict. We encourage
Russia and Georgia to advance efforts to this end in a constructive
spirit, even in the face of this latest attack," said US embassy
spokesperson Sean McCormack at the time of the incident.
Georgia and Russia have long been at odds over the region where
the missile fell and this latest incident has increased tensions
that were already high.
South Ossetia broke away from Tbilisi in the mid-1990s and has
been de-facto independent. It is led by what has been described as
an internationally unrecognized separatist government that Russia
openly and financially supports.
Irakli Alasania, Georgia's UN Ambassador has been in talks with
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the report. Alasania has
reportedly urged Ban to convene a special session of the UN
Security Council to address the incident.