Leaders of Georgian occupied regions attend 75th anniversary of end of WWII in Moscow
De facto leader of occupied Tskhinvali Anatoly Bibilov has already met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Kremlin.ru.
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Leaders of the Georgian two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali have arrived in Russia to attend celebrations dedicated to the end of WWII amid threats of the coronavirus.
Both de facto leaders of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia are in Moscow to attend the delayed celebrations which should have taken place on May 9 and were postponed until June 24 due to the coronavirus.
Russia has been widely criticized for holding the event as about 230,000 people still remain infected with COVID-19 in the country.
Over 14,000 troops, 200 armored vehicles, and 75 aircraft are participating in the celebration in Moscow's Red Square. Representatives from 13 other countries will also be present, international media outlets report.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Since then only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognised the regions as independent states, the rest of the international community says that the regions are occupied by Russia.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region is studying a site near the village of Tsnelisi ‘where a Georgian drone violated a border on June 2 – 3,’ as the drone ‘could have been used to spread the coronavirus to the region.’
The US Department of State has condemned Russia's redoubled efforts of ‘borderisation’ amid pandemic.
The US embassy to Georgia has stated that as the world marks the anniversary of Georgian independence and celebrates Georgia’s success in combating COVID-19, the United States protests the ongoing, provocative ‘borderisation’ by Russian-led security forces along the occupation line of the Russian-occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
Russia has demanded access to all blocks and documentation of the US-built, Tbilisi Lugar Centre, and once again accused the lab of ‘conducting dangerous experiments’ following yesterday's repeat invitation from Tbilisi to receive Russian experts there. Russia says that they want the visit ‘without the presence of international organisations, in a bilateral format.’