Georgia accuses Russia of air space violation

PanARMENIAN.Net - Three Russian Mi-8 helicopters intruded into the Georgian airspace and circled over a Georgian border police post for fifteen minutes on September 7, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said that three Russian "military helicopters" violated the Georgian airspace at 1:05am local time and flew 3 kilometers deep into the Georgian territory over Tanie gorge near Shatili, a village located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus mountains close to the border with Chechnya.

"This violation of Georgia's airspace represents a continuation of Russia's policy aimed at infringing on Georgia's statehood and independence. Such a blatant contravention of international law clearly aims at provoking the adequate response from the Georgian side, and intends to further escalate the security situation on the ground," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

"The Georgian side has acted responsibly and with restraint, as further deterioration of the security is not in the interests of Georgia and the wider region," it said and called on the international community to give "a proper assessment of the recent violation of the Georgian airspace by the Russian armed forces," Civil Georgia reported.

A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Colonel Vladimir Drik, however, denied Georgian reports of airspace violation, according to RIA- Novosti.