"Russia grossly violates the ceasefire agreement"

Georgian Defense Minister David Sikharulidze: Russia is building up a military presence in Georgia

Military anxiety. Tbilisi is afraid of the repetition of last year's August conflict with Russia. What are the grounds - The New Times asked the Minister of Defense of Georgia David Sikharulidze

The sixth round of safety negotiations in the Caucasus, ending in Geneva on July 2, did not bring any results. The activities of the UN and OSCE observational missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are rolled up. Russian troops conduct large exercises near the Georgian border. Many analysts are seriously talking about the possible repetition of last year's scenario, in fact, about the new Russian-Georgian war. Is the war possible? Now our fears are more reasonable than ever. Russia grossly violates the so -called sarcose agreement of six points on the ceasefire, while Georgia fully fulfills all the obligations. Russia not only does not withdraw its troops from the occupied territories, but also continues to increase the military presence there. In addition, the military exercises of the Caucasus 2009 are an obvious step in order to destabilize the situation in the entire region. Last year, the Caucasus 2008 immediately followed the invasion of Georgia and the occupation of a significant part of its territories. So if we talk about chances, then they are.

How many Russian military equipment accumulated near the Georgian border, what maneuvers are held? We know only the information that openly took place in various media. We do not have other data. But we know that in the already occupied territories, Russia is growing its military presence. Now Russian troops are located in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, the Akhalgorsky district and the village of Revy, Sachkher district of Georgia.

At all times, it was considered ordinary practice to invite independent observers to military exercises, including foreign military attache. Have you received a similar invitation? Most of all in this situation, it is precisely annoying that Russia did not invite any observers to the exercises - not only Georgian, but even foreign ones. This is again a gross violation of the sarcose agreement.

According to your data, already available in the regions that you call occupied, Russian military equipment is enough to start a military operation? I would not want to go into military details, I ask you to understand. We are very carefully monitoring this process, and the situation causes us great concern.

Does Georgia take some steps through diplomatic channels to prevent a possible military conflict? Certainly. We are now working on absolutely all possible international channels. We are well interacting with the monitoring commission of the European Union, which, again, in violation of the Sarkozy Treaty, is not allowed to the occupied territories. We are actively working on the UN and OSCE channels, despite the fact that their missions - the UN in Abkhazia and the OSCE in Ossetia - were canceled at the request of Russia.

Do you expect provocations on the border with Southern Ossetia? And what will be the reaction of Georgia, given the mistakes of the August events? All that I can say so far is that we are considering a variety of scenarios, even the worst. But in the event of an invasion, only one option is possible - we will protect our territory.

Teachings "Caucasus 2009"

Photos from the exercises “Caucasus-2008” “Terrorists strive to break into the territory of Russia across the state border of the Russian Federation ... both on land and from the sea. International terrorist groups are trying to form a number of bases and camps on the territory of the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus for the preparation of gangs and destabilizing the situation in the south of Russia ... The troops of the North Caucasus Military District set the task in cooperation with the units of the North Caucasus regional command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the regional border administration of the FSB of Russia in the YuFO, the YuFO, the YuFO, Caspian flotilla, Novorossiysk naval base for a counter-terrorist operation to break the plans of international terrorists and ensure security in the south of Russia. ” Such is the official “scenario” of operational-strategic teachings “Caucasus 2009”, which passed from June 29 to July 6.

8.5 thousand military personnel with the support of approximately 200 tanks, 450 armored vehicles, up to 250 artillery guns, more than three dozen combat aircraft and helicopters fought with the “international terrorists”. The exercises affected almost the entire south of the country: the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Rostov regions, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia and Chechnya.

The words about the anti -terrorism nature of the exercises should not be seriously treated. The “anti -terrorist” label is glued to any combined -arms maneuvers in order to immediately place an unnecessary question: who is a potential enemy according to the script? For example, during the latest Russian-Chinese exercises, “terrorists” were opposed by strategic bombers.

In fact, the Caucasus-2009 is a concentration of forces and rehearsal of a combined-arms operation against a regular army, that is, the development of actions during a local conflict, which are intended in modern conditions of general purpose.