Dark_vityaz 0 Posted August 8, 2008 So the new war has begun! Unfortunately( russian tanks at this moment are going to Tskhinvalg (the capital).They must defend people (95% are russian citizen) from agressor Georgia! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattxr 9 Posted August 8, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7548715.stm Check out the videos Quote[/b] ]Russian tanks have entered the capital of Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia, says Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Amid fierce fighting, Georgia has been trying to regain control of the breakaway province, which has had de facto independence since the 1990s. Georgia is reported to have said any involvement of Russian forces in the conflict will result in a state of war. Russia's president promised to defend Russian citizens in South Ossetia. Moscow's defence ministry said more than 10 of its peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia had been killed and 30 wounded in the Georgian offensive. At least 15 civilians are also reported dead. Russia said earlier it was sending reinforcements to support peacekeepers in the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. Reports from Georgia claim Russian jets have attacked an airport near the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Nato, the US and the EU have all called for an immediate end to hostilities. I must protect the life and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are. We will not allow their deaths to go unpunished Dmitry Medvedev Russian President In pictures: Unrest in Georgia Bitterness turns to conflict Georgia's president said 150 Russian tanks and other vehicles had entered South Ossetia. He told CNN: "Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory." Mr Saakashvili, who has called on reservists to sign up for duty, said: "This is a clear intrusion on another country's territory." "We have Russian tanks on our territory, jets on our territory in broad daylight," Reuters new agency quoted him as saying. "I must also tell you that Georgian forces have downed two Russian jet fighters over Georgia's territory." Russia rejected claims its fighters had attacked Georgian targets and that any had been shot down. The Russian defence ministry told Interfax news agency that reinforcements for Russian peacekeepers had been sent to South Ossetia "to help end bloodshed". But Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said: "I must protect the life and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are," Interfax quoted him as saying. "We will not allow their deaths to go unpunished. Those responsible will receive a deserved punishment." Residents of Tskhinvali were reported to have been sheltering in basements as massive explosions rocked the city. Georgian jets also targeted separatist positions. Both sides blamed each other for breaking an earlier ceasefire agreed on Thursday. Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili told the BBC the present situation was calm as Georgian troops were observing a unilateral ceasefire which started at 1100GMT. She said they wanted to ensure that any civilians who wanted to leave the conflict zone could do so safely. Russian troops An amnesty has also been extended to any separatist fighters willing to lay down their arms, she said. SOUTH OSSETIA TIMELINE 1991-92 S Ossetia fights war to break away from newly independent Georgia; Russia enforces truce 2004 Mikhail Saakashvili elected Georgian president, promising to recover lost territories 2006 S Ossetians vote for independence in unofficial referendum April 2008 Russia steps up ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia July 2008 Russia admits flying jets over S Ossetia; Russia and Georgia accuse each other of military build-up 7 August 2008 After escalating Georgian-Ossetian clashes, sides agree to ceasefire 8 August 2008 Heavy fighting erupts overnight, Georgian forces close on Tskhinvali Send us your comments Q&A: Violence in South Ossetia On reports of Russian forces moving into South Ossetia, she said the Russian Federation's efforts to get involved militarily had to be stopped. International Red Cross spokeswoman Anna Nelson said they had received reports that hospitals in Tskhinvali were having trouble coping with the influx of casualties and ambulances were having trouble reaching the injured. Irina Gagloyeva, a South Ossetian official in Tskhinvali, described the scene in the besieged city overnight after the Georgian military action started. "Virtually all the people of the city are in shelters, myself included. It started at midnight, and has barely stopped for a minute," she told the BBC. "Can you hear? That's rockets. All my windows have blown out. Thirty-five thousand residents of our capital have become the hostages of Georgian fascism." A spokesman for the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia told Interfax news agency that Georgian shells directly hit barracks in Tskhinvali, killing several peacekeepers. Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said Georgia had simply run out of patience with attacks by separatist militias in recent days and had had to move in to restore peace in South Ossetia. "As soon as a durable peace takes hold we need to move forward with dialogue and peaceful negotiations," he told reporters. Russian passports Georgia accuses Russia of arming the separatists who have been trying to break away since the civil war in the 1990s. Moscow denies the claim. Russia called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to respond to the crisis, but members failed to agree on a Russian statement calling on both sides to renounce the use of force. The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says Russia has always said it supports the territorial integrity of Georgia but also that it would defend its citizens. Many South Ossetians hold Russian passports. Hundreds of fighters from Russia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia are reportedly heading to aid the separatist troops. China, where the Olympic Games opens on Friday, called for worldwide truce during the sporting event. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Messiah 2 Posted August 8, 2008 *must learn not to post in political threads. Waste of time* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scubaman3D 0 Posted August 8, 2008 Anybody else notice this sounds strangely similar to Ghost Recon 1. But as far as Russia's motivation...its about maintaining influence in the CIS countries - not about defending against "Georgian aggressors" - which appears to be an absurd assertion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sparks50 0 Posted August 8, 2008 *must learn not to post in political threads. Waste of time* Haha, I couldn't but too agree on your former statement, this topic is ridiculous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spokesperson 0 Posted August 8, 2008 Well Georgia invaded South Ossetia, burned villages and destroyed its capital, shot russian troops, killed civilians. Some sources say they've started an ethnic cleansing of non-georgians in the area. The government of Georgia is a US boot-licking one. There are some very important and expensive pipelines in the country so I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia gets western support despite its atrocities. The question is if this "war" will be about South Ossetia only or if it will involve the whole of Georgia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo 12 Posted August 8, 2008 International politics thread already has it covered I believe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
