TUNCELI, Turkey (Reuters) – Nine Turkish soldiers including a lieutenant colonel were killed on Monday when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device planted by separatist guerrillas, military sources told Reuters.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the United States on Monday, saying its support for Georgia in the conflict over the separatist region South Ossetia displayed a cynical Cold War mentality.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt left for Georgia on Monday to push for an end to an armed conflict there after Russian troops pushed into two separatist regions of the country.