Joe_J.
August 4th, 2009, 12:58 PM
One year since the military conflict in the Caucasus, it is feared that hostilities might resume. South Ossetian authorities claim the republic’s capital Tskhinval was attacked from a Georgian village.
Two shells were reportedly fired from around five kilometers away from the Georgian village of Nikozi during the night. Luckily, no one was injured, a source at the Ossetian Defense Ministry told Interfax agency.
This follows reports that one man has been killed and several people injured at the border between Georgia and South Ossetia.
http://www.russiatoday.ru/Top_News/2009-07-31/south-ossetia-shelled-georgia.html
YouTube - South Ossetian village shelled in another Georgian violation
MOSCOW — Russian troops in the breakaway province of South Ossetia have been put on increased combat readiness amid rising tensions on the de facto border with Georgia, officials said Tuesday.
Andrei Nesterenko, the spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said the move was a response to Georgian "provocations" and meant to prevent more violence.
"The most important thing now is to prevent escalation and not to allow skirmishes to grow into bigger clashes," Nesterenko said.
The situation near South Ossetia has become increasingly tense as the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war approaches Friday, with Georgia and Russia blaming each other for provocations and intentions to resume fighting.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hMwNwByhP9L89m6jkmQOXgM6etqQD99S4NH00
MOSCOW — A Russian Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday that any United States participation in the European Union’s monitoring mission (http://www.eumm.eu/) in Georgia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) would be “extremely harmful,” and increase the likelihood that violence would flare up in the breakaway border regions of South Ossetia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/south_ossetia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) and Abkhazia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/abkhazia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo).
“The U.S. presence will sharply increase the likelihood of border provocations, given the United States’ role in last year’s events,” an unidentified diplomat told the Interfax news service. “As for U.S.-Russian relations, such a move will certainly not improve, but only worsen relations by adding a new issue.”
Georgia is eager for the United States to contribute to the European Union (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_union/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’s monitoring effort, a group of 246 unarmed civilian observers who travel along the boundaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia reporting any violence. American officials say they have not decided whether to participate, but will consider the possibility if the European Union’s member states invite them.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/world/europe/29russia.html
Two shells were reportedly fired from around five kilometers away from the Georgian village of Nikozi during the night. Luckily, no one was injured, a source at the Ossetian Defense Ministry told Interfax agency.
This follows reports that one man has been killed and several people injured at the border between Georgia and South Ossetia.
http://www.russiatoday.ru/Top_News/2009-07-31/south-ossetia-shelled-georgia.html
YouTube - South Ossetian village shelled in another Georgian violation
MOSCOW — Russian troops in the breakaway province of South Ossetia have been put on increased combat readiness amid rising tensions on the de facto border with Georgia, officials said Tuesday.
Andrei Nesterenko, the spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said the move was a response to Georgian "provocations" and meant to prevent more violence.
"The most important thing now is to prevent escalation and not to allow skirmishes to grow into bigger clashes," Nesterenko said.
The situation near South Ossetia has become increasingly tense as the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war approaches Friday, with Georgia and Russia blaming each other for provocations and intentions to resume fighting.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hMwNwByhP9L89m6jkmQOXgM6etqQD99S4NH00
MOSCOW — A Russian Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday that any United States participation in the European Union’s monitoring mission (http://www.eumm.eu/) in Georgia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) would be “extremely harmful,” and increase the likelihood that violence would flare up in the breakaway border regions of South Ossetia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/south_ossetia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) and Abkhazia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/abkhazia/index.html?inline=nyt-geo).
“The U.S. presence will sharply increase the likelihood of border provocations, given the United States’ role in last year’s events,” an unidentified diplomat told the Interfax news service. “As for U.S.-Russian relations, such a move will certainly not improve, but only worsen relations by adding a new issue.”
Georgia is eager for the United States to contribute to the European Union (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_union/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’s monitoring effort, a group of 246 unarmed civilian observers who travel along the boundaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia reporting any violence. American officials say they have not decided whether to participate, but will consider the possibility if the European Union’s member states invite them.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/world/europe/29russia.html