Defense Minister Talks Tough about Russian Peacekeepers

Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said that the Georgian side will return a confiscated vehicle to the Russian peacekeepers only after an official apology is given and only after the Russian side compensates the damage sustained by a local resident of Tkviavi village, whose car was damaged in a crash with the Russian peacekeepers vehicle on January 31.

“The Russian soldiers acted in a very rude manner… Naturally, the Military Police, as well as the Georgian peacekeeping battalion deployed in the conflict zone decided to resist them and to confiscate the vehicle… It was outrageous as well when they [Russian peacekeepers] dispatched military hardware in the village of Tkviavi… That is why our response was appropriate and the vehicle was confiscated; although there was minor tension and a threat of an escalation of the conflict our soldiers acted in a very attentive manner,” Okruashvili said.