Update- Putin: "War has started" between Russia and Georgia

by Sanjay Jha | August 8, 2008 at 04:46 am | 37370 views | 82 comments

Update 9:22 AM EST: Put has declared that the "War has started." Russia and Georgia are now at war.

Aug. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said ``war has started'' in the breakaway region of South Ossetia while Georgia accused Russia of ``a well-planned invasion'' and appealed to world leaders for help.

Russian ``volunteers'' are pouring over the border to help defend South Ossetia from Georgian forces, Putin told U.S. President George W. Bush in Beijing today, according to Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused Russia of ``full-blown military aggression'' after civilians died in aerial bombings and wide-spread fighting in and around the disputed region. The country of 4.6 million people is fighting ``to secure its borders,'' Saakashvili told Bloomberg Television.

The U.S., European Union and NATO all called on both sides to end hostilities. The ruble dropped the most against the dollar in 8 1/2 years and Russian stocks tumbled today on concern the conflict will worsen.

South Ossetia, which has a population of about 70,000 and is less than half the size of Kosovo, broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s and now is a de facto independent state with Russian peacekeepers and economic support. Georgia, a U.S. ally that wants to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, accuses Russia of stoking tensions in South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia.

Update-

At least 15 civilians are dead as fighting rages between Georgian troops and South Ossetian separatists in the breakaway region. Thousands of people have taken refuge in cellars around Tskhinvali as Georgian troops and warplanes pound militants forces in a bid to re-take control of the territory.

Goverment forces of Georgia have surrounded the region held by Russian supported separatists. Hundreds of fighters from Russia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia are reportedly heading to aid the separatist troops.Georgia has accused Russia to aiding and arming rebels but Moscow has denied the allegation. Russia is hostile to Georgia's ambition to join Nato and has accused Georgia of building up its forces around the breakaway regions, where Russian peacekeeping troops are deployed.

Georgian troops are nearing the capital of the separatist region of South Ossetia after a night of heavy shelling and air strikes on rebel positions.

Fighting around Tskhinvali resumed just hours after both sides agreed to a ceasefire and Russian-mediated talks.

Georgia says its aim is to finish "a criminal regime" and restore order.

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council failed to agree on a Russian statement calling on both sides to renounce the use of force.

At least 15 people are reported to have been killed and three Russian peacekeepers are among the wounded. Both sides blame each other for breaking the ceasefire.

Georgia's Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told reporters on Friday the military operations would continue until there was "a durable peace".

"As soon as a durable peace takes hold we need to move forward with dialogue and peaceful negotiations," he told reporters.

South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity told Interfax news agency his forces were still in control of the city, but Georgia claims to have Tskhinvali surrounded.

Russian fighters

The Russian envoy to the UN, Vitaliy Churkin, described Georgia's actions as "treacherous".

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Paschen

at 05:17 on August 8th, 2008

I just saw a BBC report on that, it is very serious an accusations are flying high on all sides!

Sanjay Jha

at 06:38 on August 8th, 2008

news wanted:

I think this is an important story and would benefit from other NowPublic contributors working on it. I've flagged it as News Wanted and invite others in relevant locations to look for more evidence.

zichi

at 07:45 on August 8th, 2008

Georgia Says It Fired on Russian Planes and Convoy

MOSCOW — The sharpest fighting since the early 1990s in the disputed Caucasian enclave of South Ossetia threatened to draw Russia and the American-backed former Soviet republic of Georgia into direct military conflict on Friday.
Soldiers from South Ossetia, a breakaway Georgia enclave, on Thursday near Tskhinvali, where heavy fire was reported.
Georgian officials said their military had fired on Russian planes and that their aircraft had bombed a convoy of Russian tanks that moved into South Ossetia, the pro-Russian enclave that has enjoyed de facto autonomy from Georgia since 2004.
Russian officials said they had not yet decided whether to respond militarily, and a local Russian official said the convoy was humanitarian.
But the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday afternoon that it would protect Russian citizens in the territory and Russian peacekeepers who came under fire in the capital of the enclave, Tskhinvali.

Video Added

zichi

at 07:45 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff.

zichi

at 08:08 on August 8th, 2008

According to CNN International, Russian tanks are moving into the troubled area of South Ossetia, looks like hundreds of them rather than tens of them. World leaders call for cease-fire.

President of Georgia confirms 150 tanks and troop carriers have entered Georgia. Russian jets are in the sky.

Putin, the new Russian Prime Minister makes statement

Vinny

at 08:11 on August 8th, 2008

Georgia is claiming to have downed 2 Russian planes according to this report.

"One hundred fifty Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles have entered South Ossetia," he told a news briefing. "This is a clear intrusion on another country's territory. We have Russian tanks on our territory, jets on our territory in broad daylight." "I must also tell you that Georgian forces have downed two Russian jet fighters over Georgia's territory," he added without giving further details.

Paschen

at 08:10 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Vinny

at 08:12 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

zichi

at 08:25 on August 8th, 2008

Georgia has declared major offensive, President Mikhail Saakashvili has spoken with NATO. Live broadcast on CNN International. The timing is happening because of the media attention is on the Olympics. Russia drops two 500 pound bombs. The invasion was well planned before hand. Would be suicide to intervene against Russia.

Dave Keating

at 08:46 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Media reports say Russia is rolling in, it's a full military occupation looks like.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/08/georgia.ossetia/index.html

Dave Keating

at 08:49 on August 8th, 2008

BREAKING:

Sanjay Jha, thanks for getting this story out so quickly. News is still streaming in and the news networks are doing live coverage. Anyone in Georgia or Russia, it would be great to hear from you what the national networks there are saying

jordan

at 08:50 on August 8th, 2008

Also, Georgian forces claim to have shot down Russian planes:

Georgian officials said their military had fired on Russian planes and that their aircraft had bombed a convoy of Russian tanks that moved into South Ossetia, the pro-Russian enclave that has enjoyed de facto autonomy from Georgia since 2004. A local Russian official said the convoy was humanitarian.

zichi

at 08:57 on August 8th, 2008

it would be better if editors didn't repeat same stories otherwise it just gets out of hand

Vinny

at 09:13 on August 8th, 2008

I just heard something very disturbing on Sky News, there are claims of "ethnic cleansing" in some villages.

zichi

at 09:18 on August 8th, 2008

Pentagon states: 150 U.S. military are in Georgia and all are accounted for and safe. They are assisting the Georgia military in training. NATO has called meeting.

Putin, the new Russian Prime Minister makes statement from Beijing. Georgia is not a member of NATO but has been seeking membership.

Richard Holbrooke Fmr US Ambassador to the UN states a disappointment with Europe, and Russia.

Vinny

at 09:31 on August 8th, 2008

A Georgian cabinet minister is now claiming that 4 Russian planes have been shot down, according to Sky News.

zichi

at 10:54 on August 8th, 2008

    •    Territory: South Ossetia
    •    Status: Break-away region of Georgia. Separated from Georgia in a 1991-92 war.
    •    Status: Region within Georgia
    •    Population: Approximately 70,000
    •    Capital: Tskhinvali
    •    Major languages: Ossetian, Georgian, Russian
    •    Major religion: Christianity
    •    Currency: Russian rouble, Georgian lari

René

at 10:59 on August 8th, 2008

Where on this map is the disputed territory?

zichi

at 11:09 on August 8th, 2008

the little bit of light green in the northern part on the Russian border but the other two light green areas are also disputed territories

BMCWrites

at 09:37 on August 8th, 2008

Fox News reported that government officials in the former Soviet state of Georgia said, “Russia has declared war on us.” Nighttime video footage of a Georgian air base being bombed by Russian aircraft followed.

A short time later, a CNN video report on the breaking news conflict. It features video from Russia’s Channel One television and includes mention of Russian tanks, artillery and mortar attacks in addition to the previously-mentioned aerial assaults.

Bloomberg reports: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said “war has started” in the breakaway region of South Ossetia while Georgia accused Russia of “a well-planned invasion” and appealed to world leaders for help.

-- Bob McCarty Writes

zichi

at 09:43 on August 8th, 2008

AP: Ten Russian Peace Keepers have been killed. Four Russian planes shot down.

President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia states: One plane was attacking civilian hospital.

Richard Holbrooke Fmr US Ambassador to the UN states: Bush and Putin who are both in Beijing should have immediate discussions.

Russia claims it sent in troops to protect its Peace Keepers.

Were is the Russian President?

Mikasi

at 09:59 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff.

SOLARLIFE

at 10:00 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff. i have added the european viewpoint, same timing. What do russian tanks mean?

zichi

at 10:14 on August 8th, 2008

Georgia has a brigade of troops in Iraq, supporting America and is expecting some kind of support from America in this hour.....

zichi

at 10:21 on August 8th, 2008

Russian TV is reporting the killing of the ten Russian Peace Keepers.

Separatist Leader, claims that hundreds of civilians have been killed.

Europe is unlikely to do anything against Russia because of Russian gas pipelines to Europe.

Karen Hatter

at 10:36 on August 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Sanjay Jha, good stuff.

amyjudd

at 11:25 on August 8th, 2008

McCain has called on Russia to withdraw from Georgia:

Republican U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain on Friday urged Russia to immediately withdraw from Georgia and said the United States should call for an emergency United Nations session. "Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations, withdraw all forces from the sovereign territory of Georgia," McCain told reporters in Iowa. "The U.S should immediately convene an emergency session of the U.N. security council to call on Russia to reverse course."

Fairbanks

at 12:01 on August 8th, 2008

>U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain on Friday urged Russia to immediately withdraw

McCain is free to express his personal opinion, but he isn't President yet. The Pres is in China and more than capable of doing what is necessary from there.

amyjudd

at 11:28 on August 8th, 2008

South Ossetia has said that a thousand people have died in the fighting now:

A Minister in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia said more than a thousand people had died in overnight shelling by Georgian forces of their capital Tskhinvali, RIA news agency reported. "According to our information, as a result of the night-time shelling of Tskhinvali, there has been a large number of victims ... the number of fatalities is more than a thousand," the South Ossetian Nationalites Minister, Teimuraz Kasaev, told the news agency by telephone.