Russian MP: Georgian Maneuvers Escalate Tensions in South Ossetia

Three-hour long maneuvers near the conflict zone were supervised by Security Minister and Commander of the Internal Troops.

Chairman of the Russian Parliamentary Committee for Commonwealth of Independent States Andrey Kokoshin said on October 12 that the military maneuvers of those kind which were held by the Georgian internal troops near the town of Gori further escalates tensions in the breakaway South Ossetian conflict zone.

Around 500 servicemen of the Internal Troops, with the participation of aviation and heavy artillery held on October 12 exercises in the village of Arashenda, not far from the South Ossetian conflict zone. Those servicemen, who participated in the maneuvers, are expected to rotate this week Georgian peacekeepers deployed in South Ossetian as a part of the Russian-Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping troops.

Russian MP Andrey Kokoshin said that there was no need in holding a large-scale military exercises for those troops, which are intended to carry out peacekeeping operations.

“These exercises might be the sign of re-activation of so called “party of war” in Georgia… this kind of maneuvers might be perceived as a preparation for the forceful solution of the South Ossetian conflict,” the senior Russian MP said.

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