Russian military helicopters violate Georgian airspace

Russia is continuing to provoke Georgia in an attempt to violate the country’s sovereignty and integrity.

On two separate occasions, Russian military helicopters illegally entered Georgian airspace and flew over important Governmental buildings yesterday.

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its concern over yet another instance of violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russian military helicopters entered Georgian airspace at 12.20pm and 6.22pm yesterday, local time.

The first invasion saw a Mi-8 military helicopter intrude from the illegally deployed military base in the occupied Tskhinvali territory and fly into airspace controlled by the Georgian central authorities.

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry announced the helicopter flew over numerous Governmental buildings, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ posts and police buildings located in the villages of Gori and Kaspi districts. (Namely Arbo, Mereti, Ditsi, Koshka, Kere, Plavi, Plavismani, Kveshi, Mejvriskhevi, Zerti, Kirbali, Bershueti, Tsitelubani, Khurvaleti, Zadiaantkari, Sakorintlo, Kvemo Chala, Pantiani and Veke.)

Six hours after the first unlawful flight, a Russian drone intruded after departing from occupied Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia.

"An unmanned aerial vehicle intruded specifically from the direction of Nabakevi village in the Gali district into the airspace controlled by the Georgian central authorities and flew over the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ posts in the village of Khurcha, Zugdidi district,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry statement read.

The Ministry said these were "yet another instance of violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity”, following the August 12, 2008 ceasefire agreement.

The Ministry called on the international community, foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia and the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia to pay special attention to the situation along the occupation line in order to prevent Russia's provocative actions and attempts to escalate the situation.