News

August 23, 2008 16:56

• Parliament of Georgia extends martial law till September 8

  At today's extraordinary sitting, the Parliament of Georgia has supported the proposal of President Mikhail Saakashvili to extend the martial law in the country from August 24 till September 8. In his turn, General-Colonel Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of Russian Armed Forces, has stated that Tbilisi gets ready to new warfare and provocations in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.

August 23, 2008 16:51

• Joint Staff: 2100 peaceful residents lost in the war in South Ossetia

  According to the authorities of South Ossetia, 2100 peaceful citizens fell victims of the warfare, General-Colonel Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of Russian Armed Forces, said today in a press conference.

August 23, 2008 16:47

• Council of Europe is unaware of exact count of victims in South-Ossetia

  Thomas Hammerberg, Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights, finds it too early to announce the exact figure of casualties and victims of the war in South Ossetia.

August 23, 2008 16:45

• In Krasnodar Territory, detained journalist Rozhkov goes on hunger strike

  Journalist Sergey Rozhkov, now trialled in the Krasnodar Territory under part 1, Article 318 of Russian Criminal Code ("Violence against power official"), has announced a hunger strike in protest against the "absurd indictment" and "prejudiced justice."

August 23, 2008 16:41

• Bryza promises obstacles to Russia's accession to WTO because of conflict in Georgia

  The World Trade Organization (WTO) will slow down the process of Russia's accession in reply to actions of this country in the Georgian-South-Ossetian conflict zone, said Matthew Bryza, assistant of the US Under Secretary of State.

August 23, 2008 16:37

• Georgia: Russia won't find allies in recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, experts think differently

  Ekaterina Tkeshelashvili, Foreign Minister of Georgia, believes that a possible unilateral recognition by Russia of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will mean nothing. However, experts think that Russia can find allies amidst the world community.

August 22, 2008 20:55

• Evstafiev: OSCE was unaware of the date of Georgia's attack on South Ossetia

  The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has refuted the statement made by Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of Russian Armed Forces, according to which the OSCE had known the date of Georgia's attack on South Ossetia but failed to warn Russian peacekeepers.

August 22, 2008 20:51

• Data on destructions in Tskhinvali exaggerated, eyewitnesses say

  Tskhinvali suffered a lot in the warfare in the capital of South Ossetia from bombardments, but the majority of houses survived, in many respects thanks to Russia's support, as the Ossetian civil guardsmen and journalists who visited the battlefield report.

August 22, 2008 20:45

• US Ambassador in Moscow: Russia's response to Georgia's actions in South Ossetia was reasonable

  John Beyrle, US Ambassador to the Russian Federation, believes that Russia was absolutely reasonable in responding to the attack of Georgia on Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia.

August 22, 2008 20:42

• Russian RTVi Channels resumed in Georgia

  The Russian-language RTVi television channel, which was stopped on August 19 after broadcasting the interview of Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the "Echo Moskvy" Radio dealing with the conflict in South Ossetia and future Russia-Georgia relations, has resumed its broadcasting. In that interview, Mr Lavrov justified the invasion of troops into Georgia.

August 22, 2008 20:39

• Russia and Georgia exchange 17 Georgians for 10 Russians

  Today, Russian and Georgian militaries exchanged their prisoners of war at the building of hospital in the city of Gori. 17 Georgians were exchanged for 10 Russian soldiers.

August 22, 2008 20:35

• South Ossetia urges Russia to recognize its independence

  Today, the Parliament of South Ossetia has adopted an appeal to President of Russia and Federal Assembly with a request to recognize the independence of this republic.

August 22, 2008 20:32

• Russian MoD: withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia is over

  Anatoly Serdyukov, Russian Minister of Defence of Russia has reported to the Supreme Commander in Chief - President of Russia - that the withdrawal of the Russian military units, which had been attached to the peacekeeping contingent, of which Dmitri Medvedev stated on August 17, is over.

August 22, 2008 20:29

• Chechnya: search of Sulim Yamadaev, former battalion "Vostok" commander, cancelled

  Chechen investigatory bodies have cancelled the federal search of Sulim Yamadaev, former commander of the "Vostok" (East) battalion of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the Ministry of Defence, reported today the official spokesman of the Investigatory Department of the Investigatory Committee at the Russian Prosecutor's Office for Chechnya.

August 22, 2008 20:25

• Gergiev: capital of South Ossetia resembles Stalingrad

  Conductor Valery Gergiev, head of the Mariinsky Theatre, said on August 21 after the concert-requiem performed by his orchestra in Tskhinvali that now the capital of South Ossetia resembles the post-war Stalingrad by the scale of its ruins.

August 21, 2008 10:45

• Russian inspectors see no traces of mockery on bodies of Georgian soldiers

  The Investigatory Committee at the Russian Prosecutor's Office has stated that all the Georgian militaries perished in South Ossetia from fragmental and bullet wounds. The Chairman of the Committee Boris Salmaksov has asserted that under their information the bodies of Georgian soldiers have no other damages.

August 21, 2008 10:42

• Over 500 refugees returned to South Ossetia during the last day

  According to the Ministry for Emergencies, more than 500 refugees, 150 children among them, have returned to South Ossetia during the last 24 hours from the temporary accommodation centres located in the south of Russia.

August 21, 2008 10:37

• HRW calls Russia to clear Georgia of unexploded bombs

  The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called Russia to urgently clear the Georgian territory of unexploded bombs, which are a threat to the peaceful population.

August 21, 2008 10:32

• Human rights activists stand for international tribunal to consider crimes committed during North-Caucasian conflicts

  Members of some Chechen, Ingush and Russian human rights organizations have addressed Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin in the context of his comments on the events in South Ossetia, inviting him to recollect the recent events in Chechnya.

August 21, 2008 10:29

• Abkhazia and South Ossetia ask Russia to recognize their independence

  Abkhazia has sent an application of the republic's president and parliament to Russia asking to recognize its independence, President Sergey Bagapsh has announced. Leader of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity has also prepared an appeal to President of Russia with a request to recognize the independence of his republic.