16 August 2008, 14:27
Georgian troops concentrate around Tbilisi
General-Colonel Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of Russian Armed Forces, has reported today in a press conference that the Georgian troops who participated in the war in South Ossetia are now concentrating around Tbilisi.
"We trace their travels," he said, "and as to further progress of Russian troops and their moves, we have only scouting and searching groups acting in the territory of Georgia, operating in the directions to Poti and Gori; and their arrival in Gori was caused by the need to set up contacts with representatives of local authorities for normalization of the situation and liquidation of the consequences of the humanitarian catastrophe."
As of today, "there are no Russian troops in Gori; Russian units operate only in the Georgian military base located near Gori, where they are making the inventory of scopes of military equipment and ammunition thrown by Georgians there", the ITAR-TASS quotes the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff.
Minister of Internal Affairs of South Ossetia Mikhail Mindzaev has reported that Georgian militaries are shelling the peacekeepers and dwelling settlements of South Ossetia.
"Employees of law enforcement bodies of South Ossetia and Russian militaries continue conducting operations in dense forests in the territory of South Ossetia," Mr Mindzaev has reported. According to his story, "isolated units of the Georgian army, who hide in the woods, with the onset of darkness are shelling peacekeepers' posts and Ossetian settlements." The Minister has noted that there were no losses in the result of these bombardments.
