450 Georgian soldiers amassed in the provocation against Russian peacekeepers

Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili has demanded official apologies from the Russian Defense Ministry for the nighttime incident in the zone of the Georgian-S.Ossetian conflict.

Speaking to our correspondent, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry called the incident a provocation. The Russian version of the conflict is as follows:

The Georgian police have intentionally provoked a road traffic accident near the village of Tkviavi, involving a Russian "Ural" army truck with two Russian peacekeepers and a "Zhiguli" passenger car. After the collision the Russian driver and the other serviceman were beaten up.

"The Russian peacekeepers were beaten up, while Georgian soldiers were shooting off in the air. To discharge the tension, the Russian side had to surrender the truck involved in the accident, which was then driven off to the town of Gori", says the source.

The road traffic accident had been carefully set up, as immediately after the "accident" 450 Georgian soldiers (about a battalion-strong) arrived at the scene. To prevent further aggravation of the situation, the peacekeeping command had to send an armored column to the village.

Finally the peacekeepers and the Georgian military returned to their respective barracks. Commander of the Russian peacekeeping force Maj.Gen. Marat Kulahmetov said he was ready to objectively investigate the circumstances of the incident.

In reply, the Georgian president's representative in the region, Mikhail Kareli, said that "soon the whole world would see how we throw out the Russians". The Georgian parliament is reported to shortly consider the issue of the Russian peacekeeping force pullout from South Ossetia.

For his turn, I. Okruashvili said that in case of Russia declining to make apologies Georgia would keep the seized "Ural" vehicle.