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Georgia: Russia bombing Georgian villages

08-08-2008

A spokesperson for the Georgian government says that Georgian forces have downed two Russian fighter planes that were attacking Georgian territory. An earlier claim from Tblisi that a plane was shot down has meanwhile been denied by the Russian Defence Ministry in Moscow.

Heavy fighting between Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia has left at least 15 people dead. Even though both sides agreed a ceasefire on Wednesday, they are now accusing each other of violating it.

Shellfire in Ossetia
Residential area in Ossetia apparently hit by shellfire
(NOS images)
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili says that Russia, which supports South Ossetia in its bid for independence, has taken an active role in the fighting and that Russian planes have bombed two villages in his country. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says his country has been forced to respond to Georgian military actions in South Ossetia.

Although the United Nations Security Council has held an emergency debate on the situation, it was unable to reach an agreement on a call for the two sides to stop fighting.

South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s. Most of the region's inhabitants want to either join Russia or become independent. Georgia, however, is determined to retain its territorial integrity.

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