Moscow transfers to Abkhazia formations of Chechen murtads

Russia placed additional arms and troops to Abkhazia, thus provoking new tensions in the conflict area, Georgian State Minister for Conflict Settlement David Bakradze said at a special briefing on 12 November.He stated at the special briefing today that 5 units of tank T-72, 4 units of “Grad”, 5 units of armored vehicles, 7 howitzers and 200 servicemen from amongst Chechen murtads were introduced to the military base located in Ochamchire.

 

“The introduction of military equipment and manpower to Abkhazia is continuing,” Georgian minister emphasized.

 

“I want to categorically warn everyone: an increase in Russian troop levels in Abkhazia is absolutely illegal and it will be met with a severe response and grave consequences, David Bakradze threatened.

 

Bakradze noted that this step is directly aimed at aggravating the situation in Abkhazia and provoking conflict there.

“It seems that some officials in the Russian Federation thought that Georgia had been weakened and they thought that it was the right time to implement what they have been trying for many years already in Abkhazia,” Bakradze stated.

He appealed to the world community to give an assessment for the actions by Russian side. And he urged to Russian colleagues to refrain from provocative actions of this type.

According to Georgian minister “the Georgian state has not been weakened and the Georgian state will respond appropriately to the attempts to occupy its territory.”

Let us remind that a state of emergency declared by Mikhail Saakashvili continues to operate in Georgia, which was imposed on the night of November 8 after the opposition supporters clash with the police.

 

Georgian Deputy Minister for Conflict Resolution David Bakradze’s statement that a large amount of military hardware and personnel have been taken from Russia to Abkhazia is “a downright lie”, Deputy ringleader of Russia’s “Land Forces”, Lieutenant-General Valery Yevnevich said on Monday.

 

“Such statements by official representatives of the Georgian authorities cannot be assessed as anything else but a provocation against the Russian peacekeepers in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict and through them against Russia,” he said.

 

Bagapsh however emphasized that Abkhazia conducting a regroup of its armed forces in the connection with the situation in Georgia. Perhaps Tbilisi saw as an introduction of some Russian troops.