Georgia says Russian jet shot down its drone

By Margarita Antidze, Reuters
Monday, 21 April 2008


Georgia today accused a Russian air force jet of trespassing into its airspace and shooting down an unmanned Georgian reconnaissance plane, but Moscow said the allegation was nonsense.



The Georgian air force released video footage it said came from the drone's on-board camera and which it said showed a Russian military MiG-29 jet launching a missile at the Georgian plane as it flew over the breakaway Abkhazia region.

The allegation is likely to further aggravate tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi, which are locked in a standoff over Georgia's ambitions to join NATO and Moscow's support for separatist regions of Georgia.

"On April 20 a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet shot down an unarmed, unmanned air vehicle which was performing basic reconnaissance over Georgian territory," Colonel David Nairashvili, commander of Georgia's air force, told Reuters.

"It's absolutely illegal for a Russian MiG-29 to be there," he said.

A spokesman for Russia's air force, when asked about the Georgian allegation, said: "Nonsense. What would a Russian jet fighter be doing over Georgian territory?"

Abkhazia is internationally recognised as part of Georgia but has been controlled by a Moscow-backed separatist administration since a war in the early 1990s. Russia has peacekeeping forces in the region.

Abkhazia's separatist administration said on Sunday its own forces had shot down the drone because it was violating Abkhaz air space. Georgia's pro-Western government is sensitive about any Russian involvement in the region.

Tbilisi last week accused Moscow of a de facto annexation of Abkhazia, and a second breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to establish closer ties with the separatists.

The video footage supplied to Reuters by Georgia's air force showed a jet aircraft firing a missile in the direction of a drone. A few seconds later the screen goes blank.

No identification markings are visible on the aircraft that fired the missile.

Nairashvili said the aircraft type meant it could only be a Russian air force jet. "The MiG-29 has a distinctive twin-tail marking. It's a Russian aircraft. Georgia does not possess it, nor do Abkhaz separatists," he said.

Radar records showed the aircraft took off from a base in Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast, and then crossed into neighbouring Russia after the attack, Nairashvili said.

Welcome to Tbilisi, gentlemen - I hope you got some shuteye on the flight from Bragg, because now that we're here we've got a lot of work to do.{p}Here's the situation: We've been deployed at the request of the Georgian government to help them deal with rebels on their Russian border. Our area of operations will be the South Ossetian Autonomous region - 1500 square miles of small villages and rugged backcountry. The Ossetians have been skirmishing with the Georgian army for years, but lately the attacks have escalated to the verge of all-out war. Washington thinks that the Russians have engineered the current flare-up as an excuse to step in and annex the whole region. Our job is to cut the legs out from under the revolution before that can happen.{p}Our first mission is a raid on a rebel base in the Caucusus Moutains. A rebel leader named Bakur Papashvili has been attacking army convoys across the Terek River. You'll need to take out his guard posts first, then hit his main camp. You'll find Papashvili in the caves at the top of the hill where he's set up a command center. Take him alive if you can, but remember that he won't surrender unless all his guards are eliminated.

We've been tapped for a search and rescue. The Navy's been flying sorties against rebel positions from its carrier battle group in the Black Sea. Last night, the bad guys got lucky with a SAM and took out one of our F-18s. The pilot and the weapons officer both bailed out before impact, but the rebels picked them up shortly after they activated their beacons. {p}They're being held for interrogation at a farm near the crash site. Your job is to go in and bring them back out alive. Recon photos show the F-18 is still largely intact but heavily guarded. If it's possible to plant a demo charge and blow the plane, do it - but don't jeopardize your main mission. {p}And try to minimize Ossetian casualties - the Russians are already making a big stink at the U.N. about us being here and we don't want to give them any more ammunition. If Moscow decides to intervene, we're going to find ourselves smack in the middle of a major war.

Word just came down from HQ, gentlemen. We have official confirmation that at 0600 hours three Russian armored divisions crossed the border and linked up with the rebel forces in the north. The Russian foreign minister has issued a statement condemning "international meddling in regional affairs". Looks like we've got ourselves a full-scale international incident.

For now the U.S. is still backing the legitimate Georgian government. Our orders are, quote, "to aid the Georgian army's defensive operations in any way practical". Short and sweet that means we've got the green light to blow stuff up.

First priority is to slow down the main armored column headed for Tbilisi. We've identified an ambush point about 60 klicks west of here where the highway crosses under a rail line. A Georgian command post is nearby - if it's overrun their entire western flank will collapse. Take out the Russian advance patrols first, then the tanks. And keep your demolitions expert under cover until you need him - those tanks aren't going to be stopped by anything less than a rocket up the tailpipe.

I guess if we want to know what happens next, we just have to read Ghost Recon's third mission briefing.

Alot of central asia is in turmoil. Wouldnt take much to set the whole region on the road to all out war. Thats why Ghost Recon was so good. It was believable. I cant see mexican rebels staging a coup on the Mexican government, can you?

Well, not sure if you guys noticed but the bad guy in Rogue Spear was based on Osama Bin Laden, and that was way before 9/11.

A couple of the scenarios in Rogue Spear have "come true" after the game came out including the take over of a Russian theatre by terrorists and the downing of a NATO helicopter in Bosnia.

Russia has warned it will retaliate if Georgia uses force against its breakaway regions.

Moscow has accused Georgia of preparing to invade Abkhazia, and says it is boosting Russian forces there and in the South Ossetia region.

Separatists in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region say at least two people were killed when Georgian forces started shelling the region overnight.
Eleven others were wounded in the bombardment, officials said. Shooting broke out after the shelling.

South Ossetia's breakaway government ordered a full mobilisation in response

"A general mobilisation has been ordered," spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva told AFP news agency, saying heavy weaponry would be deployed if necessary.

Georgian authorities blamed the separatist forces, saying they had attacked a Georgian checkpoint

I guess if we want to know what happens next, we just have to read Ghost Recon's third mission briefing.



So the Russians are going to give Abkhazia military hardware to support their fight against Georgia, and the US is going to support Georgia, well, NATO and the UK have already pledged their support for Georgia so things are really on line for following the GR plot!

Yesterday CNN was running file footage (source unknown) of a Russian tank battalion in convoy crossing into Georgia.

We have official confirmation that at 0600 hours three Russian armored divisions crossed the border

The BBC's man on the ground is saying that the conflict is reaching the point of no return for both sides. Russia did time its attack conveniently - everyone's thinking about the Olympics, nobody wants to learn about a nasty little war.

It may have started like it did in GR, but I don't think the ending will be as tidy.

I heard an analysis on WTOP news here in DC that basically said that Georgia acted like a thug kid by picking a fight with the big kid on the block(Russia) and then hiding behind the other big kid on the block(the US).

This could put the US up against Russia if we're not careful. I also heard from the Russian specialist guy on the radio also said that The Ossetian region people have russian passports.



Added; upon further analysis, Russia knows the US is trying to add the former Soviet block nations to NATO. Also, Russia is drawing a line in the sand on NATO encroaching on their sovereign soil.

This could get ugly if my country doesn't play smart. On the same token, Georgia needs to shut up and not fan the flames.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russia's use of strategic bombers and ballistic missiles against Georgia's civilians outside of the South Ossetian conflict is "far disproportionate" to Georgia's alleged attack on Russian peacekeepers, a senior U.S. official said Saturday.


Russian military vehicles line the road to the South Ossetia area of Georgia.

The official was not authorized to speak on the record due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy.

Russia's use of its potent air weaponry signals a "severe" and "dangerous escalation in the crisis," the official said.

"For the life of me, I can't image that being a proportionate response to the charge that Georgia has attacked Russian peacekeepers," the official said. "It's hard for us to understand what Russia's plan is here."

The official said Russia is probably trying to destabilize Georgia politically to kill its chances of joining NATO.

yes, full out war. maybe NATO vs Russia?

What if the ghosts have been already deployed there..

*Launches GR*

The Army Special Forces have been training the Georgian military for years.

Apparently, coming from this article, which hasn't been confirmed yet, one has been captured. It's in Russian, and my wife (knows Russian) says one has been taken prisoner, and flown to some city to wait confirmation.

http://www.izvestia.ru/news/news185341

RIP to all those in this very real war who have fallen and will fall.

In South Ossetia captured American mercenary

In South Ossetia captured Georgian group suicide, which is U.S. citizen, African American. It is reported "Osetinskoe radio."

The group arrested in the vicinity of the village of Zar, who is on the "road of life" - Zarskoy road.

It is anticipated that U.S. citizen - one of NATO instructors. At this time, he transferred to Vladikavkaz to ascertain all the circumstances of his stay in the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia.

As Rosbalt "previously полпред South Ossetia in the Russian Federation Dmitry Medoev has already reported that among the corpses in Tskhinvali was found several bodies of black people who fought on the side of Georgia.


17:18 10.08.08

Russia's Natalia Paderina and Georgia's Nino Salukvadze hugged after winning Olympic silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the women's 10-meter air pistol competition.

"If the world were to draw any lessons from what I did, there would never be any wars," Salukvadze, 39, said afterward, according to media reports. The reports described the two as friends.

'Oil, Israel and Iran' Among Factors that Led to Georgia War
by Gl Ronen

Analysis of the war in Georgia points to a fight over a major oil route as the main reason for hostilities, but also to an Israeli connection.

Channel 2's expert on the Muslim world, Ehud Ya'ari, told viewers of the central evening newscast that Russia and neighboring countries were vying for control of a strategic oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. This relatively new pipeline passes through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey and is the only pipeline between Asia and Europe that does not pass through Russia or Iran. Israel is expecting to receive oil and gas through the pipeline.

By using the ethnic Russian population in South Ossetia to destabilize Georgia, Russia was making a play for the pipeline, he said.

The Israeli Connection
The Georgian move against South Ossetia was motivated by political considerations having to do with Israel and Iran, according to Nfc. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili decided to assert control over the breakaway region in order to force Israel to reconsider its decision to cut back its support for Georgia's military.

Russian and Georgian media reported several days ago that Israel decided to stop its support f
Russia bombed a Georgian military plant in which Israeli experts are upgrading jet fighters for the Georgian military.
or Georgia after Moscow made it clear to Jerusalem and Washington that Russia would respond to continued aid for Georgia by selling advanced anti-aircraft systems to Syria and Iran.

Hundreds of Israeli defense experts are reportedly in Georgia and Israel's military industries have been upgrading Georgia's air force, training its infantry and selling the country unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced artillery systems.

Former minister Ronny Milo was reportedly among the leading Israeli middlemen in the arms deals with Georgia and Brig.-Gen. Gal Hirsch has been training army units through a company he owns.

Russia nixes ceasefire
Georgia has ordered its forces to cease fire, and offered to start talks with Russia over an end to hostilities in South Ossetia, Georgian officials said Sunday. However, Russia has reportedly rejected the offer. Earlier in the day, Georgia said its troops had pulled out of the breakaway region and that Russian forces were in control of its capital, Tskhinvali. Georgian President Saakashvili said Sunday that his country's sovereignty is in danger.

After conducting consultations regarding events in Georgia, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Sunday that Israel "recognizes Georgia's territorial integrity." Israel also called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
Former minister Ronny Milo was reportedly among the leading Israeli middlemen in the arms deals with Georgia.

Russia bombs Israeli-run plant
Also on Sunday, Russia bombed a Georgian military plant in which Israeli experts are upgrading jet fighters for the Georgian military. According to Nfc, the bombing was a "sharp message" to Israel.

A Russian fighter jet bombed runways inside the plant, located near Tbilisi, where Israeli security firm Elbit is in charge of upgrading Georgian SU-25 jets.

Dozens Waiting to Make Aliyah from Georgia
Eight Jews were scheduled to arrive from Georgia to Israel Sunday evening and dozens more intend to make Aliyah to the Jewish state, once they finish the required paperwork. Representatives of Russian Aliyah agency Nativ will provide the Olim with Aliyah permits. The Georgian government claims Tbilisi's international airport was damaged Sunday after being bombed by Russian jets, and it is not clear if flights will be able to take off in the coming days.

Russia's foreign minister denied the Georgian claim, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Russia is not denying reports that it bombed a military airport in a suburb of Tbilisi twice.

Russia: Western Media is Pro-Georgian
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin said Sunday that international and western press coverage of events in Georgia were biased in favor of the Georgians.

"The West behaved strangely in the first hours of the attack on South Ossetia," Karasin said, and added that "the U.S.A.'s negative attitude" would be "taken into consideration in the future in contacts about other global questions." The US says it will ask the United Nations to condemn Russia's actions in Georgia.

Afterthoughts; added; I think Russia has always been communist. It just took a different face and look. But I think Russia is really trying to assert itself since it has all kinds of oil money to spend. It controls all the oil and pipelines even to Turkey.

I'm going to say that I think Russia is trying to regain all the nations it lost after the cold war.

I'm going to say that I think Russia is trying to regain all the nations it lost after the cold war.

Do you perhaps mean 'expansionist'? There is nothing about communism that implies taking over your neighbors. There is also nothing about russia, as it stands, that demonstrates communism. it's a form of government. it's not the form of government they presently have.

Care to elaborate on why you think they're still communist?

None of these things you have stated have anything to do with communism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism

maybe the word you're looking for is 'evil'?