Abkhazia - S.Ossetia vs Georgia Situation

Russia could use military force to defend S. Ossetian residents

MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Defense Ministry is concerned over recent shots on South Ossetia's capital Tskhinval and its suburbs and could use military force to defend the republic's nationals, the ministry said Saturday.

"Events in August 2008 developed in line with a similar scenario, which led to Georgia unfolding military aggression against South Ossetia and attacking the Russian peacekeeping contingent," it said.

The ministry said Georgia opened fire on the South Ossetian territory several times in the past few days. South Ossetian authorities reported mortar fire from Georgia on Saturday. But Georgia has denied all reports saying they were a provocation.

"There was no shooting in the conflict zone at all," Georgia's police said.

The Russian ministry also said: "Such actions cause serious concerns in the Russian Defense Ministry."

"In case of further provocations threatening the republic's population and the Russian military contingent deployed in South Ossetia, the ministry retains the right to use all available means and forces to defend the nationals of South Ossetia and Russian servicemen," it said.

Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic, Abkhazia, after Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last August. Most residents of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have held Russian citizenship for several years.

Georgian forces had attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control. Since recognition of the two republics, Russia and Georgia have had no diplomatic ties.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090801/155697929.html

Ossetians are Russian citizens, we must protect them.

Georgia in Russia land-grab claim


Georgia has accused Russia of trying to seize more of its territory as the anniversary of last year's brief war between the two countries approaches.

Tbilisi said Russian troops had been moving border posts along the boundary between Georgia and its Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Georgia's foreign ministry called Sunday's moves "extremely alarming".

Russia has accused Georgia of firing mortars into South Ossetia. EU monitors said they could confirm neither claim.

Click here for a map of the region

Russian troops had entered the village of Kveshi near South Ossetia and put up new border posts, the Georgian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday, condemning the alleged move as a deliberate provocation.

The statement said the incident represented "an attempt by the Russian occupants to penetrate into the depth of Georgian territory".

On Saturday, Moscow accused Georgia of targeting South Ossetia with mortar fire and said it would respond if this continued.

The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), the only organisation now monitoring the border, said there was currently no evidence for either accusation.

The EUMM had intensified patrols around the border area and called on both sides to refrain from making accusations to escalate tensions at such a sensitive time, a spokesman told the BBC.

Georgia protests

Last year's conflict erupted on 7 August as Georgia tried to retake control of South Ossetia. Russia quickly repelled the assault, and built up its military presence in both South Ossetia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia.

Analysts say both sides are using the approaching anniversary to try and score political points against each other.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has faced mass protests calling for his resignation since April.

The opposition accuse the Georgian president of bungling the 2008 war, and failing to strengthen the rule of law and improving democratic freedoms.

Critics say Mr Saakashvili has not addressed how he plans to regain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are both now recognised and supported as independent states by Russia.

US Vice-President Joe Biden made clear on a visit to Georgia last month that the US would not support any attempt to solve the impasse militarily.

Under a new official agreement with South Ossetia, Russia is now in charge of the territory's border protection.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8181005.stm

Russian troops in S. Ossetia on alert over Georgian provocations
RIA Novosti

16:50 04/08/2009 MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has put its troops and border guards in South Ossetia on heightened alert over recent border provocations carried out by Georgia, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The situation is really worrisome, provocations from the Georgian side on the eve of the anniversary of the August events last year are continuing," Andrei Nesterenko said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.

He said Moscow was closely watching the situation on the Georgia-South Ossetia border.

On Tuesday, the South Ossetian communications ministry told RIA Novosti that the village of Otrev, near the republic's capital of Tskhinvali, had been shelled by Georgian forces from across the border. No injuries were reported.

The village was among the first to come under attack last August 8, when Georgian forces attacked the republic in an attempt to bring it back under central control. South Ossetia had enjoyed de facto independence since the early 1990s.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said late on Monday that three rocket-propelled grenades had been launched from South Ossetia at a Georgian village. Again, no injuries were reported.

Both sides also alleged attacks on their territories at the weekend. Russia has said it will use force to protect South Ossetian residents.

Last August's war saw Russian forces expel invading Georgian troops from South Ossetia and force them deep into Georgia amid accusations on both sides of human rights abuses. Russia eventually withdrew from Georgian territory and recognized the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic, on August 24. It has since stationed some 4,000 troops in the two republics.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/08/mil-090804-rianovosti08.htm

Russia's General Staff suspects Georgia planning new attack

RIA Novosti

16:43 05/08/2009 MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's General Staff suspects Georgia of planning new military action, despite being incapable of any aggression at the current time, a senior Russian military official said on Wednesday.

Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said that unnamed third countries were continuing to help Georgia rebuild its military potential.

"As for weapons they are indeed being supplied, and financing is underway...Georgia has funds to develop its armed forces," he said, adding that "unfortunately, Georgia is restoring its military potential at a fast rate."

Nogovitsyn described Russia's key task as preventing a new conflict.

"Today, we are trying to prevent a new conflict and will do everything possible to stop it taking place. This is our key task now," he said.

According to Nogovitsyn, Russia has no plans to reinforce its military presence in both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Moscow recognized the independence of the two former Georgian republics soon after last August's war with Georgia over South Ossetia.

"We do not see any need for increasing the operating contingent," he said.

Looking back at the conflict ahead of the first anniversary this Saturday in which 64 Russian soldiers, including 15 peacekeepers, were killed, Nogovitsyn said Georgian planes camouflaged with Russian insignia had attacked refugees.

"It has been established that Georgia twice used Russian aircraft insignia on its Su-25(Frogfoot) planes: on August 8 when it bombed a column of vehicles carrying refugees from Tskhinvali [South Ossetia's capital],... and on August 9 [when it attacked] a column of Russian troops moving along the Dzara road [from Tskhinvali]," the military official said.

He said the evidence had been submitted to the international community and Moscow was still waiting for the European Union to suggest a punishment for Georgia.

"What is most depressing is those countries that with the help of the EU mission have received a comprehensive report that Georgia and the Georgian leadership was the aggressor and should be punished, have yet to react," the military official said.


http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/08/mil-090805-rianovosti07.htm

Russian FM Lashes Out at Georgian President
By Jonas Bernstein
Moscow
05 August 2009

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of trying to destabilize the region by inviting U.S. observers to join a European Union team monitoring the ceasefire that ended last year's brief war between the two former Soviet republics.

Lavrov's interview with the Vesti-24 television channel came just two days before the first anniversary of the start of the war that Russia and Georgia fought over the breakaway Georgian territory of South Ossetia.

It also followed a phone call Tuesday from President Dmitri Medvedev to U.S. President Barack Obama on the occasion of Mr. Obama 48th birthday. The White House says the two men used the call to discuss the need to reduce tensions in Georgia.

Under a plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the European Union sent 240 unarmed monitors to oversee a ceasefire that ended the fighting. Last month, Georgia asked the United States to join the mission.

Lavrov said the presence of EU monitors is "an important stabilizing factor" and that Russia supports their presence. But he said the Georgian president's request for U.S. observers is part of plan to, in his words, "drag Americans into Georgia" and position them next to Russian military forces. "After that," he said, "the masters of provocation - and Saakashvili has plenty of them - will do their usual job."

Lavrov also said that NATO member states, in taking Georgia's side in last summer's conflict, acted according to what he called "Cold War templates."

The Russian foreign minister said the war was an "unforgiveable adventure" launched by Mr.that cost the lives of hundreds of people and was also a tragedy for the Georgian people.

Still, Lavrov said the issue is not interfering with relations with Western countries, including the United States. He said it did not prevent agreements from being reached during U.S. President Barack Obama's recent trip to Moscow.

But, the Russian foreign minister was critical of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Late last month, Mr. Biden told the Wall Street Journal newspaper that Russia's economy is "withering" and suggested this would force Moscow to make accommodations to the West on national-security issues.

Lavrov said Mr. Biden's interview with the Wall Street Journal was, in his words, an attempt "to pull all of us into the past," and that it read "like something rewritten" from speeches by top officials in President George W. Bush's administration.

The Georgian president, for his part, told the France 24 television news channel Tuesday that Moscow has made it clear, in his words, that its "mission" to "get rid" of his government is not over. Still, Mr. Saakashvili said Georgia "has neither the will, nor the means to attack Russia," adding that such an attack would be "complete suicide."

Vice President Biden telephoned the Georgian president Tuesday, stressing the need to avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.

Russia said Tuesday that it had placed its troops in South Ossetia on alert, charging that what it called Georgian "provocations" are continuing with the approach of the anniversary of the August 2008 war.

Russia says it intends to keep about 7,000 troops in South Ossetia and the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia indefinitely, despite repeated calls by Western governments to remove them.



http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/08/mil-090805-voa13.htm

What was that shelling about last week?

Abkhazia to fire upon Georgian ships violating its border

RIA Novosti

13:46 02/09/2009 MOSCOW/TBILISI, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - Abkhazia's president has ordered that force be used against Georgian vessels violating the former Georgian republic's maritime border, the Abkhazian foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Sergei Shamba said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Abkhazia was ready to resort to force and the order had been given "to open fire on Georgian ships if they continue their acts of piracy."

Last month Georgia seized the Panama-flagged Buket tanker and its cargo as it was carrying over 2,000 of gasoline and 770 metric tons of diesel to Abkhazia from Turkey. Tbilisi accused the Turkish company operating the Buket of smuggling and violating the ban on unauthorized economic activity in what Georgia considers an occupied territory.

Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh told local media that Abkhazia would take "appropriate measures" if Georgia continued seizing ships with cargo intended for the republic.

"Georgia continues with its acts of piracy near the territorial waters of Abkhazia, seizing foreign vessels with humanitarian cargo that are heading to our country. In this connection I took a decision on the use of appropriate measures," Bagapsh told local news agency Apsynpress.

Tbilisi considers Abkhazia and its waters part of Georgian territory, and as part of efforts to isolate the republic has declared any unauthorized shipments of goods to be illegal.

On August 26, the republic celebrated the first anniversary of Russia's recognition of its independence. So far the only other country to have recognized it and South Ossetia is Nicaragua.



http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/09/mil-090902-rianovosti03.htm

More info:

Tensions Rise Over Georgia's Sea Blockade Of Abkhazia

September 02, 2009

(RFE/RL) -- The leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia has threatened to destroy any Georgian ship entering Abkhazia's "territorial waters."

"I issued an order to our navy to destroy Georgian ships violating Abkhazia's sea border," Sergei Bagapsh told Interfax. "This step has been motivated by unending acts of piracy by Georgia."

It is the strongest threat to date from Bagapsh in an escalating war of words over Tbilisi's efforts to impose a sea blockade on the territory.

The blockade was imposed after the Russia-Georgia war one year ago. Abkhazia was not directly involved in the hostilities but took the occasion to declare independence and its sovereignty was guaranteed by Russia.

In response to Bagapsh, Tbilisi said it would hold Russia, which controls Abkhazia's borders and coastline, responsible for any attacks on its ships.

"Abkhazia's navy does not exist," Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.

"There are no Abkhaz territorial waters, as these waters belong to Georgia. If there is an attack on Georgian ships, Russia would be responsible, not the separatist government."

Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, told journalists before a government meeting in Tbilisi on September 2 that other officials will comment on Bagapsh statements in due course.

"The Prosecutor-General's Office, the Interior Ministry and the Justice Ministry [instead of the Foreign Ministry] will comment on Bagapsh's statements, because a criminal should be sitting in a jail and [he] definitely will be in a Georgian jail," Vashadze said.

The head of the parliamentary Committee for Eurointegration, Davit Darchiashvili, told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that officials also will alert Georgia's allies and international organizations of the brewing crisis.

"This issue has to be brought to [international] attention at every level," Darchiashvili said. "On the level of friendly governments, of course, but also on the level of international organizations of which Georgia is a partner, for example, NATO. And Georgia will definitely address the NATO Council or UN or OSCE or the European Union."

Georgia's Blockade

The ratcheting up of tensions over the blockade comes after a Georgian court on September 1 sentenced a Turkish sea captain to 24 years in prison for trying to deliver fuel to Abkhazia in breach of the Georgian economic blockade.

The court in Kutaisi found Mehmet Coskun Ozturk, captain of the Turkish tanker "Buket," guilty of "illegal crossing of the Georgian border and smuggling."

Judge Vakhtang Todia told RFE/RL that Ozturk had been involved in numerous illegal crossings of Georgian territorial waters before his ship was seized last month.

Georgia says it detained the tanker in Georgian waters on its way from Turkey to Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi with a cargo of gasoline aboard. The "Buket" is now impounded in the Georgian port of Poti.

The ship's operator says it was seized at gunpoint in international waters.

By itself, the case of the "Buket" might not seem enough to produce the bitter charges being traded now between Tbilisi and Sukhumi.

But Georgia says it is just the latest incident in a pattern of blockade-running. Tbilisi says it has detained four ships delivering goods to Abkhazia this year, including two within several days of each other late last month. And, much more dangerously for regional stability, Moscow appears increasingly involved in the blockade row.

Russian Involvement

The deputy head of Russian border guards, Lieutenant General Yevgeny Inchin, said on August 28 his forces would ensure the safety of merchant ships entering Abkhaz waters. He did not specify how.

That threat was followed by what appeared to be an effort to dampen tensions slightly as Bagapsh announced that the breakaway region has its own naval capability and would not call upon Russian ships to attack Georgian ships entering its "territorial waters."

"I want to stress that we are talking exclusively about the Abkhaz Navy," Bagapsh told Interfax. "Russia's navy is not being used and will not be used to carry out this task."

Still, there is no doubt Moscow is capable -- and perhaps ready -- to intervene should the blockade running grow into a shooting incident.

Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi remain at an abysmal low following the war in August last year.

That war began with exchanges of artillery fire across the border of another breakaway region, South Ossetia, and ended with a brief, partial Russian occupation of Georgia proper.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia are today vassal states of Russia, though Tbilisi and the West regard them legally as part of Georgia's territory.

The danger now is that virtually any spark could reignite hostilities because enmities remain so high.

Both Tbilisi and Moscow have sent strong signals in recent days of a bellicose mood.

Russia said last month it intends to spend some $489 million to reinforce Abkhazia's borders and strengthen Russian military operations there.

RFE/RL's Russian Service reports that Russian forces have a base in the Abkhaz city of Gudauta and are building facilities for another base in the port city of Ochamchire. There are believed to be some 4,000-5,000 Russian troops in Abkhazia.

New, Hard-Line Minister

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili last week replaced his defense minister, saying he wasn't satisfied with the military's combat readiness.

He appointed Bacho Akhalaya to replace David Sikharulidze, who himself became defense minister just over eight months ago in a cabinet shake-up following Georgia's war with Russia.

Akhalaya, 28, is widely seen in Georgia as a hard-liner ready to use force for political ends.

He is a former head of the Penitentiary Department who has been accused by opposition leaders and human rights groups of presiding over death squads subordinate to the Interior Ministry that carried out extra-judicial killings.

Akhalaya, who denies such charges, says he sees the priorities of the Defense Ministry as "modernization, peace, and integration with NATO."

RFE/RL's Georgian Service contributed to this report


Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Tensions_Rise_Over_Georgias_Sea_Blockade_Of_Abkhazia/1813300.html

Copyright (c) 2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Things will get mutch easier once Russia aquires Mistral with Mi-28/Ka-52 on it.
I wonder does Russia have any helo lounched antiship missile.

Viktor wrote:Things will get mutch easier once Russia aquires Mistral with Mi-28/Ka-52 on it.
I wonder does Russia have any helo lounched antiship missile.

Kh-35 good enough for ya?

Four armed Georgians detained in S Ossetia

Thursday, November 5, 2009
TBILISI – Agence France-Presse


Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region said Thursday it had detained four Georgian teenagers who had crossed into rebel-held territory armed with grenades and other explosives.

The region's separatist administration said in a statement that the four minors were detained in South Ossetia's main city Tskhinvali late Wednesday after crossing the de facto border. "During the teenagers' detention four hand grenades and other explosive materials were seized. Law enforcement bodies are investigating the incident," the statement said.

Georgian officials had no immediate comment. Tensions remain high around South Ossetia following last year's Georgia-Russia war over the breakaway region. In two separate incidents last week, Russian border guards arrested 21 Georgians who had allegedly crossed into South Ossetian-controlled territory. They were eventually released after talks with Georgian and European officials.

European Union ceasefire monitors in Georgia had expressed concern that the detentions would stoke tensions in the volatile area. The five-day war in August 2008 saw Russian troops and tanks pour into Georgia to repel a Georgian military attempt to retake control of South Ossetia, which had received extensive Russian backing for years.

Days after the conflict, Russia recognized South Ossetia and another rebel Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent, a move that has so far been followed by only Nicaragua and Venezuela.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=rebels-four-armed-georgians-detained-in-s-ossetia-2009-11-05

Two Georgian diversionists, Russian serviceman killed in shootout in Abkhazia
Topic: Abkhazia, S.Ossetia push for recognition

Two Georgian diversionists, Russian serviceman killed in shootout in Abkhazia

Two Georgian diversionists and a Russian border guard were killed in a shootout in the former Georgian republic of Abkhazia on Friday, the press center of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said.

"An FSB border squad came under fire while doing terrain reconnaissance in Abkhazia's Galsky region," an FSB spokesman said. One of the Russian officers and two of the attackers died in the shootout.

"According to the Abkhazian State Security Service, the assailants, Vasha Sechinava and Malkhaz Kharchilava, were members of the Georgian Interior Ministry's...subversive group which was conducting reconnaissance and allegedly preparing acts of sabotage in Abkhazia," the spokesman said.

The two Georgian attackers were under the direct control of the deputy head of the Georgian Interior Ministry's reconnaissance department in Abkhazia's Zugdidsky region, the spokesman said.

Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and another former Georgian republic, South Ossetia, after a five-day war in 2008 and has since been the guarantor of their security, deploying thousands of troops and border guards to the tiny republics.

MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110408/163439959.html

US involved in murder of Russian peacekeepers in S Ossetia

MOSCOW, November 30 (Itar-Tass) — Deputy Secretary of Russia's Security Council Vladimir Nazarov said Russia has concrete proofs that the USA was involved in the murder of Russian peacekeepers, servicemen and citizens in South Ossetia. Nazarov said so at the international conference in Moscow on Euroatlantic security architecture on Wednesday.

"The USA was directly involved in the murder of Russian peacekeepers, servicemen and citizens in South Ossetia," Nazarov stressed, "we have concrete proofs."

"We'd like to remind our NATO partners about the role the alliance played in arming the Saakashvili regime, pushing it towards that war, and dragging Georgia in NATO in 2007 in 2008 ," the deputy Security Council secretary underlined.

The Russian Defense Ministry will deploy additional units of Special Forces (spetsnaz) to the North Caucasus to strengthen security in the region, the ministry said on Thursday.

“Following the visit of Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to the Southern Military District, the decision was made to deploy additional army spetsnaz units in Stavropol and Kislovodsk to further enhance security in the south of the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

The number of additional units and their equipment will be determined by the Russian General Staff.

The Southern Military District is one of the four operational strategic commands of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The district comprises the territory of the former North Caucasus Military District, including the volatile republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, as well as the territorial waters of the Black and Caspian seas.

According to unofficial reports, Russia currently deploys at least four army spetznaz brigades as well as several airborne and mountain brigades in the region.

http://www.en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20120126/170969370.html

I believe it was the 58th army Kysusha

I'm glad they're deploying more Spetsnaz to the North Caucasas. The more men in that God forsaken region, the better.

Also the more selfish side of me is also glad because we might get to see some new footage.

God forsaken? I am sure many residents of Dagestan would disagree with you on that one.

TR1, I did not literally mean God Forsaken, I was trying to say that the North Caucasas region is very violent at this point in time. I think that the more men Russia has over there, the better they'll be able to keep the Region secure and free of Jihadists.

Mr.Kalishnikov47 wrote:TR1, I did not literally mean God Forsaken, I was trying to say that the North Caucasas region is very violent at this point in time. I think that the more men Russia has over there, the better they'll be able to keep the Region secure and free of Jihadists.

IMO the solution is not more military force (though there is a need and time for that as well), but the issue is fundamentally tied to post-USSR collapse Russia. Corruption, unemployment, all must be combated and will do much more than more Spestnaz or MVD or whatever-who have a horrible reputation with locals these days.