Tbilisi ‘Concerned’ over Russia’s Reconnaissance Flights in Conflict Zones

Tbilisi said on March 6 that a Russian helicopter and a reconnaissance drone flew over Georgian police posts in the vicinity of administrative boundary lines with breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Russia’s Mi-8 military helicopter “intruded” from breakaway South Ossetia at 12:20pm local time on March 6 and flew over Georgian police posts and police building located in nineteen villages close to breakaway South Ossetian administrative boundary line, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

The villages listed in the Foreign Ministry’s statement are: Arbo, Mereti, Ditsi, Koshka, Kere, Plavi, Plavismani, Kveshi, Mejvriskhevi, Zerti, Kirbali, Bershueti, Tsitelubani, Khurvaleti, Zadiaantkari, Sakorintlo, Kvemo Chala, Pantiani and Veke. These villages are located in close vicinity of the administrative boundary line and mostly southeast of Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway region.

The Foreign Ministry said that on the same day at 6:22pm a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle “intruded” from “occupied Abkhazia”, specifically from the direction of Nabakevi village of the Gali district, and flew over the Georgian police post in the village of Khurcha, close to the administrative boundary line.

“The Georgian Foreign Ministry expresses concern over yet another instance of violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as of the August 12, 2008 ceasefire agreement and calls on the international community, foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia and the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia to pay special attention to the situation along the occupation line in order to prevent Russia’s provocative actions and attempts to escalate the situation,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement reads.