Georgia slams Russia’s military exercises on Georgian occupied land

Official Tbilisi is expressing "extreme concern” after Russian military held joint training exercises in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.

Georgian Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemned yesterday’s military training exercises, hosted by the Russian Federation on Georgia’s occupied land.

Yesterday afternoon the Russian side publically announced 2,000 soldiers and 500 units of military equipment were involved in the field exercises. It noted the Russian Army had launched simultaneous field exercises on 12 firing ranges in the Russian Federation's Southern Military District and in Georgia's occupied regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia.

"Different military units, including divisions of air defence are carrying out large-scale exercises in the use of various artillery systems,” stated Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on information released by the Russian’s.

"These exercises notably involve advanced Russian offensive military equipment such as Igla air defence missile complexes, Tunguska anti-aircraft gun and missile systems, Shilka anti-aircraft artillery systems, S-300B, Strela-10, Tor and Osa anti-aircraft missile systems,” the statement said.

The news was not well received by Georgian officials. The country’s Foreign Ministry said Russia’s actions to host military exercises on Georgian land was a blatant violation of international law.

"These actions of the Russian Federation are a further infringement of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

"They constitute a gross violation of the Georgian Constitution, of the norms and principles of international law and of Russia's international commitments including those Russia undertook by the Ceasefire Agreement of 12 August 2008, and pose a threat to peace and stability in the region,” said the Ministry.

"The Georgian Foreign Ministry is extremely concerned by this matter, and demands the Russian government comply with the commitments it has undertaken and that it withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Georgia and de-occupy Georgia's regions.”

The Georgian side called upon the international community to adequately react to Russia’s "destructive steps” and to prevent further action aimed at undermining Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The United States Ambassador to Georgia, Richard Norland, responded to Russia’s military actions on Georgia’s occupied territories and evaluated them as violation of international norms.

"We unanimously support Georgia’s territorial integrity. The military exercises carried out by Russia violate international norms,” he said.