“Withdrawing” Russians still roam and destroy

Responsibility for the destruction of the whole military and civilian infrastructure of Georgia rests with the Russian troops sent to Georgia to “impose the peace”.

After the end of hostilities on the territory of Georgia, and amid calls for immediate troop withdrawal from the Presidents of Georgia, France, USA, the Chancellor of Germany and other leaders President Medvedev of Russia officially declared on Sunday August 17 that Russian troops would leave Georgia the following day. Meanwhile, Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian armed forces, declared on Sunday that Russian forces had taken control of the major hydro power plant on the Enguri River “to enable the plant to work without restriction and to provide security to the plant’s personnel.”

Nogovitsyn stressed that “preparations for the troops’ withdrawal were underway”, whereas Reuters quoted Maj. Gen. Alexander Borisov, a commanding officer on the ground in Gori and surrounding areas, as saying that “columns are moving from Tskhinvali to Russia.” However on August 17, President Medvedev also informed French President that he “noted the need of unconditional and clear fulfillment by the Georgian side of its commitment to pull back its forces back to their barracks”. The Georgian Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a special statement which said that Sarkozy had warned Medvedev about the possible consequences for Russian relations with European structures of any Russian delays, TV Rustavi 2 reported on August 18.

On the morning of August 18 Russian forces were still in their positions around Gori and on the main highway, a circumstance justified by Maj. Gen. Borisov as a necessary to provide protection for the military pullout. Pointing to the large number of troops, Borisov explained that, “we are talking about the gradual return of Russian military units to their permanent stations on the territory of the Russian Federation”, Civil Georgia reported. As he said this, Russian troops were still rambling around the Samegrelo Region from Senaki to Chkhorotsku and then returning to Senaki, taking away from its military base four T72 tanks, anti-aircraft artillery pieces and over 40 Ural type vehicles loaded with arms belonging to the Georgian army and households appliances from the military base.

Alexander Lomaia, head of the State Security Council, told Reuters that “there are no signs of any withdrawal of Russian troops,” quoting the statement of the Russian Commander in Chief, declaring that “there is no plan or timetable for the withdrawal of the Russian troops.” As the Russian Commander in Chief declared, “he has not received any order yet, although in case of the one they will leave immediately,” Rustavi2 asserted.

On August 17 Civil Georgia reported that locals from Khashuri had seen Russian soldiers at Georgia’s military barracks in Osiauri, despite the speech of Georgia’s Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze late on August 16 about the “systematic destruction of Georgia’s military infrastructure and seemingly random but no less painful degradation of its civilian infrastructure.” The cargo removed from that base was taken to Abkhazia via the Enguri Bridge. Meanwhile the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that Abkhaz militiamen had taken control of two Georgian villages on the border, Ganmukhuri and Khurcha, which are administratively part of the Zugdidi district, creating “temporary administrations.”

The Head of the Georgian State Police Grigalashvili, in an interview with Rustavi 2, declared that “Russian troops marched towards the city of Borjomi, but local units of the city police and criminal police blocked the way and after brief negotiations Russian troops stepped back” The local governor confirmed that two N2 tanks, one jeep and one UAZ vehicle were stopped by Georgian police. Officers explained to the Russian soldiers that Borjomi was far from the conflict zone and they had no authority to move into the city. After this display of resistance, the Russians left.

In his televised address to the nation, aired by the Georgian Public Broadcaster on August 18, Saakashvili reaffirmed his readiness for talks with Russia after its “occupational troops” withdraw from Georgia, though he stressed that Russia’s aggression had been aimed at “putting an end to Georgia’s liberty” and was not at all about South Ossetia or Abkhazia, though Russia failed to achieve this goal. “Tbilisi has not fallen and the government has not run away as happened in 1921 [when the Bolshevik Red Army invaded Georgia]; people did not come into the streets and Russia did not overthrow the government,” Saakashvili concluded.

Russian army units arrived in Igoeti, where a brief incident took place between the Russian Commander and the Georgian Police Chief. Subsequently the Commander ordered the armored vehicles to “pave the way” for his tanks, and Georgian police cars, which were blocking the way, were forcibly moved aside by the tanks, suffering extensive damage. Russian troops control checkpoints on the main highway near Igoeti and Orchosani and block the city of Gori, monitoring all cars on their way in and out and checking the passengers. Rustavi2 TV reports that the soldiers have Georgian Lari with them and do not interact with the local population. They appear to be waiting for further orders rather than preparing to leave.

In spite of a previous promise, the Russian Commander in Chief has not yet allowed Georgian journalists to enter the city. Those with Russian accreditation, however, have been allowed in. Later on August 18 a group of journalists from Russia entered Gori.