14 hours of Conflict - How is Georgian blitzkrieg faring?

Sources are Regnum.ru and RIAN

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01:07 08/08/2008

Direct military action is taking place near the capital of South Ossetia between Georgian and Ossetian troops.

President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity announced that South Ossetian troops had been built up to contain Georgian units. “A violent fighting is taking place."

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01:47 08/08/2008

The storm of the South Ossetian caputal is taking place in all directions, reports the website of the South Ossetian Information Committee. [...]

Georgian artillery troops are firing at governmental and residential buildings in central Tskhinvali. [...]

Earlier, Georgia confirmed its intention to solve the Georgian-Ossetian conflict by force. In particular, Commander of Peacekeeping Operation of the Georgian Armed Forces Mamuka Kurashvili announced that the Georgian side “launched an operation to bring constitutional order to Tskhinvali area.” At the present moment, Georgian troops continue firing from howitzers, mortars, Grad multiple launch rocket systems and large-calibre artillery.


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02:02 08/08/2008

A block of governmental offices in central Tskhinvali has been completely destroyed. The city is on fire, reports a REGNUM correspondent from the site. Artillery shelling of the South Ossetian capital by Georgian troops has continued.

As Assistant Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces Vladimir Ivanov said, positions of Russian peacekeeprs in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone has not been subjected to fire yet. “There has been no direct firing at peacekeepers' posts from the Georgian side. The peacekeepers continue fulfilling their task of monitoring the developments in the conflict zone,” he noted

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11.55

MOSCOW, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will chair an emergency meeting of the national Security Council in the next few hours to discuss the situation in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, the president's spokesperson said on Friday.

Georgia launched a full-scale attack on its breakaway republic of S. Ossetia overnight, using tanks, combat aircraft, heavy artillery and infantry. Georgia said it had captured most of its breakaway republic and called on the separatist authorities to surrender.

"The Security Council will consider as soon as possible proposals to settle the situation in the region," Natalia Timakova said.

South Ossetia said at least 15 civilians had been killed so far and Russian peacekeepers said Georgia had shelled their positions, wounding several Russian servicemen.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is currently in Beijing, warned that Georgian aggression against its breakaway region will provoke a "response".

"The situation is very sad. It raises concerns and will certainly incur a response," Putin said.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called on the UN Security Council to intervene to stop violence in the region, but the council failed on Friday to reach an agreement on a Russian-drafted statement.

Several Russian lawmakers on Friday called for military action against Tbilisi in response to Georgia's aggression.

"Russia must interfere in the conflict to stop the violence," influential MP Konstantin Zatulin said. "Russia must consider a military operation because our peacekeeping contingent will not be enough to ensure peace in the region."

State Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said Russia would protect its citizens in South Ossetia. Many residents of the self-proclaimed republic hold Russian citizenship.

South Ossetia and another Georgian breakaway republic, Abkhazia, broke away from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, gaining de facto independence after bloody conflicts with Tbilisi.

Georgia has pledged to bring the two tiny republics back under central control and has accused Russia of trying to annex the regions.

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14:35 08/08/2008

"The Georgian authorities have unleashed a dirty war," the ministry said on its website, echoing statements from Russian officials and lawmakers who have condemned the ongoing Georgian ground and air offensive, which has killed several people including Russian peacekeepers.

"Bloodshed in South Ossetia will be on their conscience. We will protect our peacekeepers and citizens of the Russian Federation," the ministry said.

Georgia launched a major offensive overnight in its breakaway republic, where many people hold Russian passports, using tanks, combat aircraft, heavy artillery and infantry. Georgia says it has captured most of the region, and has called on the separatist authorities to surrender.

South Ossetia earlier said at least 15 civilians had been killed, and Russian peacekeepers said Georgia had shelled their positions, killing and wounding several Russian servicemen in the regional capital, Tskhinvali.

Georgia's pro-Western president, Mikheil Saakashvili, announced a full mobilization in the country. He also accused Russia of bombing Georgian villages, a claim Moscow swiftly rejected.

NATO, the European Union and the United States, a key ally of Georgia, all issued statements urging the sides to bring an end to the conflict.

Georgia's Rustavi-2 television said government troops had shot down a Russian military plane over Georgian airspace on Friday. The channel said several Russian planes had earlier dropped bombs on the town of Gori, to the south of South Ossetia.

Russia's Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as "mere ravings, another vile provocation by the Georgian authorities." The Defense Ministry called the report an "information provocation," and said no Russian aircraft had been downed.