(Tbilisi, August 23 2002, Civil Georgia) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, commenting in Novosibirsk on the news of bombardments in Georgia denied Russian involvement and hinted it could have been the Georgian operation gone wrong.Ivanov said “this is not a first such announcement [on bombardment] from the Georgian side. Certainly, Russia has nothing to do with it. Certain explosions could be a result of beginning of the Georgian special operations to liquidate the bands in Pankisi. If it is so, I can only welcome it and characterise as a step in the right direction.”