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Escalating situation in (country of) Georgia
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| Magnetonium |
I've been reading a lot of reports lately suggesting that military confrontation is imminent. Looks like Saakashvilli is getting close to fullfilling his long-time promise to bring separatist Abkhazia under his control using force (one of his election promises). I'll follow this article up with a comprehensive story sometime in the next couple days.
Strangely enough that Western media only covers Georgia, and situation in Akhazia is ignored. Two explosions, and no big deal?
Abkazia to shut border with Georgia
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/e...4352158805.html
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Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia has said it will seal itself off from the rest of the country after a string of bomb blasts it blames on Tbilisi.
"As of tomorrow [Tuesday], the Abkhaz-Georgian border will be closed for an undetermined period," Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhaz leader, said on Monday.
The announcement came after four people were injured in two explosions in a market in the region's capital Sukhumi.
Six other people were injured on Sunday in two explosions in Gagra, which lies on the Black Sea coast in the Abkhaz region.
"The Georgian secret services participated in organising these explosions in Gagra and Sukhumi," Bagapsh said.
"The security services of Abkhazia will do everything possible to find those responsible."
Deteriorating relations
Tbilisi has denied any involvement in the attacks, which Abkhaz officials say were carried out to damage tourism in the region.
"We had absolutely nothing to do with the recent explosions in Abkhazia," Shota Utiashvili, a Georgian interior ministry spokesman, said.
The differences between Georgia and Abkhazia come amid tensions Tbilisi and its neighbour Russia.
Tbilisi has accused Russia of supporting the Abkhaz separatists after Moscow announced in April that it was establishing official ties with rebels in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, another breakaway region in Georgia.
The Abkhaz order to close the border with Georgia could have an impact on ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia's eastern Gali region.
They often cross into Georgian-controlled territory to trade and visit relatives.
Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s after a war that killed several thousand people.
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http://www.civilgeorgia.ge/eng/article.php?id=18572
Two Blasts Reported on Abkhaz Railway
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Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 19 Jun.'08 / 11:42
Two blasts occured on the railway in Sokhumi on June 18, slightly damaging the tracks, Apsnypress news agency reported.
An investigation is underway, according to the report.
Interfax news agency quoted a source from the Abkhaz law enforcement agencies as saying that this �terrorist act� was directed against the Russian Railway Forces, which have been repairing rail infrastructure in Abkhazia since late May. Tbilisi has condemned the deployment of the Russian Railway Forces in Abkhazia, saying it was a prelude to military intervention. Moscow, however, has said it is a humanitarian measure aimed at �the socio-economic rehabilitation� of the region.
In an earlier incident, the Russian side said on June 13 that it had recovered a TM-62-M anti-tank mine under the tracks on a section of the Abkhaz railway currently being repaired by the Russian Railway Forces, adding that �an attempt to carry out a subversive-terrorist act� had been made against the Russian servicemen. However, on June 16 the Abkhaz side said that according to �conclusions by a specialist� the mine had been placed during the armed conflict in the region in 1992-1993.
Related
Moscow Claims �Terrorist Act� against its Railway Troops in Abkhazia Foiled
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| Magnetonium |
First of all, Russia and Georgia are NOT feuding enemies. They are not enemies period. And there's no "geopolitical tinderboxes" here either. Russian forces are there merely for the sake of keeping peace, along with international forces. In 1993, Russia was the only country that stepped in to stop the terrible bloodshed and ethnic cleansing, noone else cared. But now, it seems, everyone wants a bigger piece of the pie ... BTW, there is no Russian artillery in Abkhazia, thats bloody ridiculous. :whip:
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with Russian presence and/or influence in Abkhazia. Look at Taiwan and Kosovo and say no more.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...TPInternational
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Caught between feuding enemies
The Russian influence in the breakaway enclave of Abkhazia has infuriated Georgia. Some fear an armed conflict could erupt
JANE ARMSTRONG
June 28, 2008
GAGRA, GEORGIA -- Technically, this pretty, pebbled beach town lies in Georgia. But no Georgian is spoken in the waterfront caf�s and hotels overlooking the Black Sea. Russian is the preferred language and currency.
Most of the tourists are Russian, lured by low prices, splendid scenery and a hassle-free border crossing, where Russian visitors are waved through without visas, in violation of Georgian laws.
"It feels like home," said Elena Gurbina, who took a train from Pyatigorsk, Russia, to spend two weeks with her husband by the sea in this breakaway republic called Abkhazia. "We feel safe here."
Safe it might feel to the Gurbinas, but the truth is, this tourist haven is a geopolitical tinderbox, squeezed between two feuding enemies - Russia and Western-backed Georgia. This spring, the dispute escalated into a tense game of brinkmanship that could threaten the security of the entire region.
Tensions have been mounting since April, when Russia announced it would establish formal links with Abkhazia, which has declared its independence from Georgia. Russia, which is eager to thwart NATO's march into Eastern Europe - especially Georgia's aspirations of joining the military alliance - responded by sending more troops and artillery south of the border. It already had a 2,500-member peacekeeping force in the region, and Georgia called the added troops an "act of aggression."
Since then, accusations have flown across the border almost daily, with each side accusing the other of spoiling for war. Last month, Georgia accused Russia of shooting down a Georgian spy drone over Abkhazia. Russia denied it, but UN observers who studied footage said a Russian fighter jet downed the drone.
Caught between these feuding enemies is Abkhazia, a mutinous land of emerald lakes, snow-capped mountains and misty rain forests. It has called itself a nation since splitting from Georgia after a brutal civil war in the 1990s, a defiant statement that fell on deaf ears around the world.
Despite Georgia's attempts to bring the enclave into the fold, Abkhazia's leaders have turned north to Russia for support and money.
The Russian influence in Abkhazia has infuriated Georgia, which has accused Russia of attempting to annex the region. It claims the Russian peacekeepers have sided with separatists and are secretly training Abkhazian soldiers.
Some fear an armed conflict between Russia and Georgia could erupt.
"The possibility of a war is nothing to sneeze at," said Lincoln Mitchell, a professor at Columbia University's school of international and public affairs. "If there are more troops, the situation is explosive. If there is increasing Russian presence, the Georgians may feel they have to move in."
Tiny Abkhazia was once the playground for the Soviet elite and millions of vacationers. Four of Joseph Stalin's favourite summer homes were in Abkhazia, one perched on a steep cliff overlooking Gagra. Many Russians still feel a sense of entitlement to this patch of Caucasian paradise that became part of Georgia after the Soviet Union collapsed.
War and economic isolation have mangled Abkhazia's natural assets. Today, it is a land of charred homes, potholed roads, wild horses, feral cats and an embittered population still nursing grudges from a war that ended 15 years ago.
In the capital of Sukhumi, the once-stately Hotel Abkhazia, which faces the beachfront boardwalk, is empty and strafed with bullet marks. A former waterfront restaurant has collapsed onto the beach.
Enter Russia, with a keen strategic interest in the region. Irked at the West's recognition of Kosovo, Russia last spring announced it was establishing formal ties with Abkhazia, lifting trade sanctions and pouring money into its ruined economy. It has even distributed Russian passports to Abkhazian residents.
Russian rubles have paved destroyed roads, repaired railways and bolstered the paltry pensions of senior citizens.
Abkhazia's separatist leader, Sergei Bagapsh, said statehood remains a goal here, but for now Russian troops are needed to keep the peace and Russian money is needed to rebuild the damaged country.
Reunification with Georgia, Mr. Bagapsh insisted in an interview at Abkhazia's so-called presidential administration building, is a non-starter.
"Georgia must understand that Abkhazia will never be a part of it," he said. "If the United States, France, and Canada would build gold mountains in Georgia, we will still never be a part of it."
Mr. Bagapsh insists that Georgia, not Russia, is the main provocateur in the crisis.
"We expect war at any minute," Mr. Bagapsh said.
In Eshera, not far from Sukhumi, Tamara Ezugbaya's rambling, near-empty home sheds some light on why Abkhazia has turned its back on Georgia. Over a harrowing six-month period that began in December of 1992, Ms. Ezugbaya lost four of her five sons when Georgian troops invaded Abkhazia.
David, 21, and Astamur, 19, were both killed on Christmas Day during gun battles in the war's early months. Two months later, 17-year-old Vladimir died when his car came under fire and exploded. The eldest, Almashan, 23, died in a firefight in July.
"We had a big, happy family," said Ms. Ezugbaya, who still wears black mourning clothes. "They helped their father build this house. Now I think, how have I managed to survive these 15 years without them?"
A fifth son, Janalbi, 25, is her sole surviving offspring. Her husband, Napolean, died three years ago at age 57, she said, of a broken heart.
Before the war, Georgians and Abkhazians in Eshera lived side by side, Ms. Ezugbaya said, pointing to a deserted house up the hill that once belonged to Georgian friends.
"They made a mistake by attacking us."
Abkhazia, with help from fighters from across the Caucasus, eventually turned back the Georgian army, then chased hundreds of thousands of civilian Georgians from their homes, burning and looting as they went. Atrocities were committed on both sides.
The Georgians who once lived near the Ezugbayas' house have not returned. Their homes, reduced to blackened shells, have been reclaimed by sprouting vegetation.
Ms. Ezugbaya, who heads the village council, said Russian assistance will always be welcomed. "Without Russia, we won't survive," she said.
Three hours to the south of Gagra's peaceful beaches is the grim highland town of Gali. There are no tourists here but the Russian language is still heard on the street, mainly from uniformed Russian peacekeepers.
Under the terms of an international ceasefire agreement, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to oversee the return of Georgian refugees and help rebuild infrastructure.
Situated just a few kilometres from the Georgian border, Gali lies within a 25-kilometre-wide buffer zone, which includes both Abkhazia and Georgia.
Most of its inhabitants are Georgian refugees who have returned to Abkhazia. Few venture outside the security zone because they don't feel safe in the rest of Abkhazia.
Ruslan Kishmaria, the Gali district leader, said he doesn't understand why the presence of thousands of Russian peacekeepers is seen as a threat by Georgians. As he spoke, a smiling Russian soldier stood in his office.
Georgia wants the Russian peacekeepers out of Abkhazia, to be replaced by an international peacekeeping force, but Mr. Kishmaria said Abkhazia will never allow it.
Then he launched into a tirade against the West. "Where was the West 15 years ago when we were attacked? No one remembered us. Where was the international community then? Only Russia helped.
"Now, Russia sends some peacekeepers to Abkhazia and you show up."
Relations between Russia and Georgia have been deteriorating since 2004, when Mikhail Saakashvili came to power promising democratic reforms in the former Soviet republic.
Like Ukraine, Georgia has turned to the West for political inspiration and financial assistance. Mr. Saakashvili forged a personal bond with U.S. President George W. Bush and pushed for inclusion in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, both of which vexed Moscow, which considered Georgia to be in its sphere of influence.
Mr. Saakashvili also made reunification with Abkhazia and another rebel republic, South Ossetia, a centrepiece of his presidential agenda.
Despite the current impasse over Abkhazia, some observers have been heartened by recent diplomatic overtures in Sukhumi.
Last month, an official from the U.S. State Department met with Abkhazian officials, followed by a delegation from Georgia. One idea bandied about was to give Abkhazia some form of autonomy within Georgia with language and cultural guarantees.
However, a Georgian official later said little progress was made, adding the only way to reduce the risk of conflict is for Russia to withdraw its troops immediately.
Some observers say the prospect of another war in the Caucasus is sufficient deterrent to prevent both Russia and Georgia from making a misstep.
Georgia, which is vying to be part of NATO, can't risk its reputation by attacking Abkhazia. And Russia doesn't want a bloody legacy marring the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a resort city less than 25 kilometres from the Abkhazian border.
Prof. Mitchell said Georgia must work to win back Abkhazia's trust, which could take years.
If Georgian democratic reforms take root and the country's economy improves, Abkhazia may one day decide to return to Georgia, he said.
"Do you want to be a medium-sized region of an interesting, prosperous, NATO-moving country or do you want to be a small region of a considerably more difficult and less democratic and free country.
"Abkhazia has a choice."
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| Krypton |
| The separatist provinces are in my opinion too much trouble for Georgia. Georgia should just get on with it and let them be. If they want to separate, let them separate. |
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| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
The separatist provinces are in my opinion too much trouble for Georgia. Georgia should just get on with it and let them be. If they want to separate, let them separate. |
I am Russian and I am against Abkhazian independence. At least for the time being. Its not needed right now, and will not achieve anything. I am sure that Kremlin knows that recognizing Abkhazia will have horrific results, though we all want to punish NATO for what it did with Kosovo. Russian politicians tried to look cool in early 1990s when they stopped the bloodshed and violence in Abkhazia, but since then it became clear that this only drove Georgia away to NATO. Russian foreign policy is so weak and ill-minded that they keep managing to push everybody away from them with ease. Its so sad. Its almost like the only way for them to assert themselves is through military force.
I am a very disillusioned and sceptical Russian-Canadian on the entire Russian political front, seriously.
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For Georgia, this Abkhazia and South Ossetia thorn is not just about bringing the country under one wing. Saakashvilli hawks have recently took control over disobedient Adjaria province. They are driven mainly by the American policy to drive Russia out of the region - after all, Saakashvilli spent many years in USA before he came back to his birth country to seize power after organizing street protests with American help, of course (following the example of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine). He immediately promised to regain all rebellious provinces and "kick out foreign influence and occupation" out of the country. And everyone knew what that meant. Ever since then the situation around Abkhazia and South Ossetia has become more tense and violent.
Russian peacekeepers and Georgian police have scuffled at times and Georgian forces even seized some Russian peacekeepers and their trucks/equipment, only to release later under criticism and scrutiny from Moscow. Some questionable bombings and mortar/artillery attacks have taken place against South Ossetia and Abkhazia in recent months. Goergia (American made?) drone spy planes have been flying over Abkhazia often this year, and one of them was allegedly shut down by Russian planes. Georgian military budget has increased dramatically since Saakashvilli came to power. American military advisors, money and weapons have been pouring into Georgia. Georgia has completed a massive oil pipeline to transport Baku oil through its country to Turkey, bypassing Russia and Armenia.
Anyways, to summarize:
There's some serious boiling in the region. Conflict is imminent. Its only a matter of time ... just in time to put a bloody legacy on the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
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| Magnetonium |
Georgian forces are quietly shelling South Ossetian positions ... I wonder how much media coverage this will receive in the European/American media.
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/26993
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July 4, 2008, 2:31
Shelling reported in Georgia�s breakaway region
Residential districts of the capital of Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia have come under heavy artillery fire, according to reports. Mortars and grenades are said to be being used. All South Ossetian military have been put on high alert.
The shelling started at around 11 p.m., said Irina Gagloeva from the South Ossetian Committee for Information.
�We don�t know whether there are any casualties. The situation in the town is tense. The shells are being fired at residential buildings and offices,� she said.
Meanwhile, throughout the day Georgia has tightened its military presence in the region, according to the head of the Joint Control Committee of Peacekeeping Forces, Marat Kulakhmetov. However, he said, it refused to monitor the area in question.
�For ten minutes the capital Tskhinvali came under heavy artillery gunfire which caused about ten or fifteen explosions across the city,� he said.
Earlier, according to reports, at least one person was killed, and two others injured when a South Ossetian police station came under fire from the Georgian village of Nuli.
South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia in the early nineties and a violent conflict followed. Peacekeepers from a Joint Control Commission have been stationed in the region since then.
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Explosion kills 4, wounds 5 in breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, official
http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Explosion+kills+4+wounds+5+in+breakaway+Georgian+region+of+Abkhazia+official/
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SUKHUMI, Georgia - A powerful explosion killed four people and wounded five in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, a top security official said Monday, alleging that Georgia was behind the attack.
07/07/2008 9:12:00 AM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
It was the fifth bombing in a week in or near Abkhazia.
The security official, Yuri Ashuba, said the latest bomb went off late Sunday in the town of Gali near the office of the Abkhazian security service, killing a regional security chief and a female resident. A local serviceman and a translator with the UN mission were brought to a hospital with severe wounds and died in hospital.
Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili dismissed the claims that Georgia was behind the attack as "absurd and groundless."
A top aide to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Prikhodko, said President Bush asked Medvedev about Russia's relations with Georgia during their meeting Monday on the sidelines of a Group of Eight summit in Japan.
Medvedev told Bush that Russia would like "to normalize our relations with Georgia, but so far we do not see sufficient will" on the part of the Georgian leadership, Prikhodko said.
Abkhazian officials routinely accuse Georgia of responsibility for violence in the Black Sea province, claiming the central government is preparing to attempt to take control of it by force. Georgian officials deny responsibility for such incidents and say they are provocations.
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| Magnetonium |
THE WAR IS NOW ON IN SOUTH OSSETIA. Georgian forces are attacking Tskhinvali from all directions. There are casualties. I am watching some clips from Russian television (online).
Earlier Russian television reported that a huge column of Georgian military, consisting of dozens of tanks, armoured vehicles, 1000+ troops, was moving from Gori (southeast Georgia) to South Ossetian borders.
Merely days ago several thousands of South Ossetian women and children were moved out of South Ossetia by Russian peacekeepers in anticipation of the violence.
What a great way to start the Olympics. While the games are going on, Georgia wants to quietly settle this issue by force.
I'll be watching the developments all day, whenever I can - so far South Ossetian forces are reporting to having success in defending outskirts of the city.
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| Magnetonium |
I'm actually not supporting South Ossetian independence, that will do Russia more harm than good. I want South Ossetia given broad autonomy and stay within - the first part is not allowed by Georgian government who want their puppet leadership instead (and only then "broad" autonomy).
That was yesterday's story anyways ... today the war is on.
Dont worry, Russia will not send its military there, there's no need ... because it has already closed its eyes to the thousands of volunteers from Abkhazia and North Ossetia who are crossing the border as we speak and going to fight against Georgian forces. Georgian forces have a good chance of winning this war - after all, they are backed by 1-billion dollar NATO/USA arms and training injection into Georgian military, last year's values alone. Look which weapons Georgian military are using in this conflict - NATO tanks, helicopters, arms. Recently there were large Georgian-USA military games show in Western Georgia.
"Russia will not stand by and do nothing" doesnt mean that Russian regular army will fight the Georgian forces. They'll do other things ;)
Too bad you dont speak or read Russian - www.vesti.ru has much more recent videos and articles on this conflict.
Personally, as much as I hope that Georgian forces get their arses kicked in this war, realistically speaking I dont think its going to happen. |
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| Krypton |
| Georgia was becoming a great place for foreign investment. Going to war isn't going to encourage any more of that. I've seen FULL-PAGE ads in the Wall Street Journal encouraging investment in Georgia. No way in hell, I'm investing there now.. |
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| Magnetonium |
http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=199476&cid=9
Latest update: Georgian tanks have managed to overcome the initial resistance and along with infantry are just outside of South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, shelling everything in the way, supported by howitzers and other high-calibre weapons.
Many buildings are hit, some are on fire, including dozens of homes, government buildings, highrises ... |
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| Krypton |
| Why does Georgia want South Ossetia so badly? Any logical person can see that force will never work. What the hell is wrong with the Georgian president? |
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| Magnetonium |
Georgian government is one big scumbag, using Olympics as a smokescreen for its illegal war. So far, over a dozen of civilians are reported dead. Much of South Ossetia is reported to be in control of Georgian government forces. Even better, Saakashvilli went on national television, and proclaimed that Russian planes are bombing South Ossetia :wtf:
Georgia says it controls most of South Ossetia
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/28652
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August 8, 2008, 13:32
Georgia says it controls most of South Ossetia
Georgia is claiming it has seized control of almost all the towns and villages in its breakaway republic of South Ossetia. It follows a major ground and air offensive involving fighter jets, tanks, heavy artillery and infantry. The capital Tskhinvali and surrounding villages have come under sustained bombardment for several hours.
Georgia�s military action has sparked condemnation from Russia, which has warned of �emergency measures� to end the conflict.
South Ossetia earlier said 15 people had been killed in attacks. Several buildings were reported to be on fire in the city centre after repeated Georgian shelling. The parliament building has been burned down.
Georgia�s Reunification Minister Temur Yakobashvili said the military was continuing its offensive in Tskhinvali. However, he denied reports that Georgian planes had been bombing the city.
"There is no bombing of Tskhinvali. Street battles are continuing in the city, involving our soldiers. We do not plan to bomb our own servicemen in Tskhinvali," he told a video link-up hosted by RIA Novosti.
The rebel administration had said Georgian Su-25 Frogfoot attack planes had bombed the South Ossetian village of Kvernet as well as a humanitarian aid convoy.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili gave a starkly contrasting version of events, saying Georgia had �liberated� South Ossetia from separatists, and that Russia was bombing Georgian villages.
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More reliable link?
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM...o9n0z_0IvC9AK2w
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Georgia surrounds capital in rebel province
4 hours ago
MEGVREKISI, Georgia (AFP) � Georgian forces surrounded and shelled the capital of the breakaway South Ossetia province on Friday, drawing warnings of retaliation from Russia which supports the separatist administration.
Amid spiralling tensions, reports said Russian forces on peacekeeping duty in South Ossetia had been killed and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned his country would respond to Georgia's offensive in the Caucasus trouble spot.
A Kremlin spokesman said President Dmitry Medvedev was considering "emergency measures" in response to the Georgian attack.
Georgia said Russian warplanes had bombed targets in its territory but this was denied by the Russian foreign ministry.
At least 15 civilians were killed in the fighting and Georgian shelling and air raids on the separatist capital Tskhinvali, South Ossetian officials and reports said.
The European Union, United States, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) all called for a halt to the fighting in South Ossetia -- which broke away from Tbilisi's control in the early 1990s.
The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed for a "humanitarian corridor" to be set up to evacuate the wounded from the province.
The United Nations expressed concern but failed to agree on a Russian statement urging Georgia and the rebels to halt the fighting.
Georgia accuses Russia of seeking to take over South Ossetia.(:wtf:, a contradiction?)
An AFP reporter saw Georgian forces fire over a dozen missiles towards South Ossetia from a position inside Georgia and witnessed helicopters and hundreds of soldiers in trucks moving towards the region.
A large plume of smoke rose from Tskhinvali shortly after dawn and explosions and heavy weapons continued regularly as they had all night.
The Russian military said a barracks for Russian peacekeepers in Tskhinvali was hit and that some troops were killed, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
"As a result of the Georgian artillery shelling there are fatalities among the peacekeepers," a representative of the Russian command was quoted as saying.
Three Russian Sukhoi-24 aircraft entered Georgian airspace and one dropped two bombs near the border village of Kareli, a Georgian interior ministry spokesman told AFP. :wtf:
The Georgian defence ministry said Russian planes dropped four bombs near Gori, the main Georgian city near South Ossetia.
A Russian foreign ministry spokesman told AFP the Georgian claims were "nonsense" and "rubbish".
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili said "Most of South Ossetia's territory is liberated and is controlled by Georgia."
He added in televised comments that Russia was conducting flights over Tskhinvali and declared: "I demand Russia stop bombardment of peaceful Georgian cities."
But Putin, the former Russian president who is now its influential prime minister, condemned Georgia's "aggressive actions" and said his country would have to retaliate.
"It is regrettable that on the day before the opening of the Olympic Games, the Georgian authorities have undertaken aggressive actions in South Ossetia," said Putin in Beijing.
"They have in effect begun hostilities using tanks and artillery," he added. "It is sad, but this will provoke retaliatory measures."
Putin said he had discussed the crisis with Chinese leaders and with US President George W. Bush. "Everybody agrees -- nobody wants to see a war."
Russia called a special meeting of the UN Security Council which expressed concern over the fighting but could not agree on a Russian statement urging the warring sides to renounce the use of force and return to the negotiating table.
The European Union, NATO and United States all called on both sides to stop the fighting and hold talks.
South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said earlier his forces still controlled Tskhinvali.
"We fully control our capital. The battle is continuing on the outskirts of Tskhinvali," Kokoity was quoted as saying by Interfax. "The situation is completely under control."
"Georgian SU-25 planes are dropping bombs on innocent civilians in the Republic of South Ossetia," a statement on the official website of the South Ossetian authorities said.
The offensive was described by General Mamuka Kurashvili, who leads Georgia's contribution to the peacekeeping mission in South Ossetia, as an attempt to "restore constitutional order" in the region.
In recent months, Moscow and Tbilisi have sparred repeatedly over South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian region, Abkhazia.
Georgia's pro-Western government accuses Moscow of seeking to annex the two regions and derail its efforts to join the transatlantic NATO alliance, which Russia vehemently opposes.
The Georgian offensive came within just hours of reports that Georgia and South Ossetia agreed to meet Friday for talks and the declaration of a unilateral ceasefire by the Georgian president.
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Two-faced Georgian bastards :whip: They even deny their forces have entered Tskhinvali, where I just saw moments ago videos of plumes of smoke rising from that city via online TV ... Some Russian peacekeepers have been killed in their own barracks, hit by Georgian high-calibre units. Georgia and Russia are getting closer to a regional war! And the world doesnt care!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/200...ed=networkfront
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A Georgian launcher fires rockets at rebels near the South Ossetia capital, Tskhinvali. Photograph: Vano Shlamov/AFP/Getty
Georgia and Russia edge towards war over South OssetiaRussian jets accused of invading airspace and bombing border towns as rebels clash with Georgian troops in breakaway region.
Russia and Georgia moved to the brink of war today after Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation for the killing of its peacekeepers and civilians during a Georgian military assault to regain control of rebel South Ossetia.
The Russian prime minister vowed to protect his citizens after Georgia launched an all-out bombardment of separatists in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, last night, just hours after apparently agreeing a ceasefire.
Georgian troops exchanged fire with convoys carrying volunteer fighters over the Russian border to support the separatists and planes, tanks and artillery shelled the city.
Meanwhile, Georgia claimed several Russian SU-24 jets entered Georgian airspace and bombed two locations, south of the Ossetian enclave, including Gori, the birthplace of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Russia has denied the bombing.
According to the latest reports, at least three Russian peacekeepers and 15 civilians were killed during the shelling of Tskhinvali. Georgian officials said that seven of its citizens had been wounded by the Russian bombs.
The international community quickly called for peace in the region.
A spokesman for George Bush, who is in China, said: "All sides should bring an immediate end to the violence and engage in direct talks to resolve this matter peacefully."
Nato's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said he was "seriously concerned" about the events before calling for an immediate ceasefire and the start of direct peace talks.
Putin said earlier that "aggressive" action by Georgia would incur a "response" and the country's defence ministry said it would protect the civilian population and its peacekeepers caught up in the fighting.
"The Georgian leadership has unleashed a dirty adventure," a ministerial statement posted on its website said. "Blood spilled in South Ossetia will be blamed on these people and their associates. We will not allow our peacekeepers and citizens of the Russian Federation to be hurt."
Up to 90% of South Ossetia's non-Georgian population carry Russian passports.
The Kremlin said Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, had summoned his top security advisers to discuss how to restore peace and defend civilians "within the peacekeeping mandate we have".
The country's prime minister, Vladmir Putin, had already warned there would be a "response" to Georgia's actions.
Speaking from China, where he is attending the opening of the Olympic games, Putin blamed the Georgian leadership for making aggressive moves in relation to South Ossetia, according to Interfax.
"Heavy weapons and artillery have been sent there, and tanks have been added. Deaths and injuries have been reported, including among Russian peacekeepers. It's all very sad and alarming. And, of course, there will be a response," he said, without elaborating.
Putin made his remarks in a meeting with the leader of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in Beijing.
Nazarbayev's reply raised the possibility that other former Soviet states could come in on Russia's side in the conflict.
"The Georgian leadership was not right when it failed to inform [other nations] on its actions toward South Ossetia and about higher tensions taking place there," Interfax quoted Nazarbayev as saying.
Earlier, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has ordered the mobilisation of reservists, said "the greater part" of South Ossetia had been liberated and ordered a full-scale mobilisation of military reservists.
Russia's Interfax news agency said Georgian troops had entered the separatist South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, a claim denied by Georgia.
Georgian television said Georgian troops had taken eight South Ossetian villages, including Sarabuk, a strategic vantage point on high ground.
Whatever the precise battle details, it was clear that a serious conflict had broken out only hours after president Saakashvili promised a unilateral Georgian ceasefire and offered South Ossetia the chance of broad autonomy within Georgia. The number of casualties was unclear but likely to be high.
All eyes were on Russia, which has a peacekeeping contingent in the area but which Georgia accuses of supporting the separatists. The Russian peacekeepers said the Georgians were targeting their positions and they had lost some men.
The crisis in the Caucasus represents the first major test for Russia's new president, Dmitry Medvedev, but Putin's comments from China showed that he may be the man who really calls the shots.
Georgian forces appear to have the upper hand and the element of surprise at the moment but they could soon find themselves fighting on two fronts, as another separatist region, the Black Sea enclave of Abkhazia, announced its troops were moving towards the Georgian border. Cossaks from Russia said they were also ready to go to the aid of the South Ossetians, many of whom have Russian citizenship.
In Tskhinvali, Kokoity, the South Ossetian leader, was meeting Teymuraz Mamsurov, the leader of North Ossetia, which is just over the border in Russia. The North Ossetians have also promised help to their South Ossetian brethren. Mamsurov said a convoy of lorries carrying humanitarian aid from his region was attacked by Georgian war planes through the night.
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