Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Planned exercise of Russian army worries Tbilisi

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Planned exercise of Russian army worries Tbilisi

    RIA Novosti, Russia
    Aug 24 2004

    PLANNED EXERCISE OF RUSSIAN ARMY WORRIES TBILISI


    MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) -- Yesterday, Russia's 58th Army
    began an exercise in North Ossetia. "It is the largest exercise held
    here this year," a source in the army told a Kommersant correspondent.
    Simultaneously the Russian peacekeepers launched an exercise in
    western Georgia and Abkhazia.

    The 58th Army's exercise has no connection to the events around
    Tskhinvali, as it was planned last year, says Colonel Vyacheslav
    Sedov, head of the Defence Ministry's press service.

    Tbilisi, which is now in a ring of military exercises, rushed to
    express its concern. Givi Targamadze, chairman of the Georgian
    parliament's defence and security committee, announced that if
    Russian troops move towards Georgia, Tbilisi "will take appropriate
    measures to protect its state border". Defence Minister Georgy
    Baramidze described the exercise at the Georgian border as display of
    Russia's non-constructive attitude.

    The Russian army's manoeuvres are not limited to the
    Georgian-Ossetian region. Today, the North-Caucasian military
    district will launch command and staff exercises featuring 5,500
    reservists. Simultaneously, Armenia will host a joint
    Russian-Armenian exercise using MiG-29 fighters and Su-25 attack
    planes.
Working...
X