Russia ‘drops missile’

TBILISI – Georgia accused Russia of ‘undisguised aggression’ yesterday, saying two Russian fighter jets intruded on its airspace and fired a missile that landed just metres from a house.

Russia denied the claim. The Interior Ministry said two Russian Su-24 jet bombers illegally entered Georgia’s airspace over the Gori region, about 60 kilometres northwest of the capital late Monday, and fired a missile that landed 25 metres from a house on the edge of Shavshvebi village.The missile did not explode, Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.”If it had exploded, it would have been a catastrophe,” he told The Associated Press.He said sappers were discussing what to do with the missile, which weighs about a ton.The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador to Georgia yesterday to hand him Tbilisi’s formal protest, calling the intrusion and firing of the missile “undisguised aggression and a gross violation of sovereignty of the country.”Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko, speaking to reporters after receiving the note, denied that a Russian aircraft dropped the weapon.A spokesman for Russia’s air force also denied the accusations.”Russian aircraft haven’t conducted any flights over that area and haven’t violated Georgia’s airspace,” spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said yesterday in Moscow.The dispute is the latest between Russia and Georgia, its small ex-Soviet neighbour – a relationship made worse by Georgia’s efforts to shed Russia’s influence, court Western alliances and to join Nato.Georgia has long accused Russia of trying to destabilise the country and of backing separatists in its breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which President Mikhail Saakashvili has pledged to bring back into the Georgian fold.The Gori region where the missile was dropped is next to South Ossetia.Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nika Vashakidze said that the Russian intrusion could be aimed at thwarting Tbilisi’s effort to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict in South Ossetia.Boris Chochiyev, a deputy prime minister in South Ossetia’s separatist government, accused Georgia of dropping the missile in a deliberate ‘provocation against Russia’.Nampa-APThe Interior Ministry said two Russian Su-24 jet bombers illegally entered Georgia’s airspace over the Gori region, about 60 kilometres northwest of the capital late Monday, and fired a missile that landed 25 metres from a house on the edge of Shavshvebi village.The missile did not explode, Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.”If it had exploded, it would have been a catastrophe,” he told The Associated Press.He said sappers were discussing what to do with the missile, which weighs about a ton.The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador to Georgia yesterday to hand him Tbilisi’s formal protest, calling the intrusion and firing of the missile “undisguised aggression and a gross violation of sovereignty of the country.”Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko, speaking to reporters after receiving the note, denied that a Russian aircraft dropped the weapon.A spokesman for Russia’s air force also denied the accusations.”Russian aircraft haven’t conducted any flights over that area and haven’t violated Georgia’s airspace,” spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said yesterday in Moscow.The dispute is the latest between Russia and Georgia, its small ex-Soviet neighbour – a relationship made worse by Georgia’s efforts to shed Russia’s influence, court Western alliances and to join Nato.Georgia has long accused Russia of trying to destabilise the country and of backing separatists in its breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which President Mikhail Saakashvili has pledged to bring back into the Georgian fold.The Gori region where the missile was dropped is next to South Ossetia.Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nika Vashakidze said that the Russian intrusion could be aimed at thwarting Tbilisi’s effort to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict in South Ossetia.Boris Chochiyev, a deputy prime minister in South Ossetia’s separatist government, accused Georgia of dropping the missile in a deliberate ‘provocation against Russia’.Nampa-AP