Russians are ready to defend South Ossetia against Georgia and there is no holding them back, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says.


Georgia-South Ossetia conflict escalates
Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:31:07 GMT
Georgian tanks in South Ossetia
Georgian forces enter the breakaway South Ossetia capital of Tskhivali as heavy fighting continues in its southern parts, reports say.

Georgia intensified its ground and aerial attacks on the South Ossetian capital early Friday and killed many civilians, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing South Ossetia's Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili has denied Interfax broadcast that its troops have entered South Ossetia's capital.

Utiashvili said Georgian forces have not yet entered Tskhinvali, but were engaged in a battle with two convoys of trucks that had entered South Ossetia from Russia.

Following a short lived truce, Georgia began shelling Tskhinvali early Friday from all directions, setting many houses ablaze and increasing civilian casualties, it said.

Georgian troops, backed by warplanes, are also pounding separatist forces on the outskirts of the South Ossetian capital including truck-launched salvos of Grad missiles.

South Ossetia responded by sending two Suchoi SU-25 fighter jets to bomb Georgian positions for the first time. Georgia had sent five of the same jets to carry out its attacks.

Initial reports suggest that 15 civilians have been killed in Tskhinvali alone. There are no further reports on casualties from both sides.

Many fear that if these clashes escalate into an all-out war, Russia could be drawn into the conflict as it has close ties with the South Ossetia leadership.

Maria Zakharova, press secretary of the Russian mission to the United Nations, strongly condemned Georgia's "aggressive actions against South Ossetia" and urged the UN Security Council to call an emergency meeting.

The UN has scheduled a meeting to be held this morning in New York. It is not yet clear whether the meeting will be held behind closed doors or open to the press, reported Russian news service Itar-Tass.

Abkhazia, another separatist region of Georgia, has offered military aid to South Ossetia. Russia has called on both sides to act rationally.

The Georgian government has accused South Ossetia fighters of breaking the ceasefire overnight, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

Tiblisi radio, quoting Georgia's Reintegration Minister Temuri Yakobashvili, announced Friday morning that Georgian forces had 'nearly surrounded' Tskhinvali.

"We don't desire demolitions or victims, so we again offer the separatist leaders to begin direct talks over a ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation in the conflict zone," he said.

Yakobashvili added that five villages that had been under South Ossetia control are now controlled by Georgian forces.

FTP/AA/DT