War in Eastern Europe: Russia invades Georgia
The balloon went up this morning:
Russia sends forces into Georgian rebel conflict
Fri Aug 8, 2008 10:58am EDT
By Margarita Antidze
MEGVREKISI, Georgia (Reuters) - Russia sent forces into Georgia on Friday to repel a Georgian assault on the breakaway South Ossetia region and Georgia's pro-Western president said the two countries were at war.
South Ossetia's rebel leader Eduard Kokoity said there were "hundreds of dead civilians" in the main town Tskhinvali, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
A senior Russian military commander said parts of Russia's 58th army were approaching the rebel capital, where fighting raged between Russian-backed separatists and Georgian forces sent in on Friday to seize it.
A senior Georgian security official said Russian jets had bombed the Vaziani military airbase outside the Georgian capital Tbilisi, and President Mikheil Saakashvili said 150 Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles had entered South Ossetia from neighboring Russia.
"Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory," Saakashvili told CNN, calling on Washington to help.
He also said Georgian forces had downed two Russian jets. There was no immediate confirmation Russia had sent bombers.
A top Russian military commander said more than 10 Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia had been killed and nearly 30 wounded, Russian news agencies reported.
150 Armored Fighting Vehicles make this a division level invasion, and Georgia is fully mobilizing.
Russia sends forces into Georgian rebel conflict
Fri Aug 8, 2008 10:58am EDT
By Margarita Antidze
MEGVREKISI, Georgia (Reuters) - Russia sent forces into Georgia on Friday to repel a Georgian assault on the breakaway South Ossetia region and Georgia's pro-Western president said the two countries were at war.
South Ossetia's rebel leader Eduard Kokoity said there were "hundreds of dead civilians" in the main town Tskhinvali, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
A senior Russian military commander said parts of Russia's 58th army were approaching the rebel capital, where fighting raged between Russian-backed separatists and Georgian forces sent in on Friday to seize it.
A senior Georgian security official said Russian jets had bombed the Vaziani military airbase outside the Georgian capital Tbilisi, and President Mikheil Saakashvili said 150 Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles had entered South Ossetia from neighboring Russia.
"Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory," Saakashvili told CNN, calling on Washington to help.
He also said Georgian forces had downed two Russian jets. There was no immediate confirmation Russia had sent bombers.
A top Russian military commander said more than 10 Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia had been killed and nearly 30 wounded, Russian news agencies reported.
150 Armored Fighting Vehicles make this a division level invasion, and Georgia is fully mobilizing.