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Georgia slams Russia

TBILISI (Georgia): Georgia accused Russia of “undisguised aggression” on Tuesday, saying two Russian fighter jets intruded on its airspace and fired a missile that landed just metres from a house. Russia, which has long feuded with its ex-Soviet neighbour, denied the claim.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry said two Russian Su-24 jet bombers entered Georgia’s airspace over the Gori region, about 60 km northwest of the capital late on Monday, and fired a missile that landed 25 metres from a house. The missile did not explode, said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili.

“If it had exploded, it would have been a catastrophe,” he told the Associated Press. He said sappers were discussing what to do with the missile, which weighs about a tonne.

“This was a provocation calculated for only one reason — to disrupt the peace in Georgia. This is sowing panic in society and [is aimed at] changing the political course of the country,” said President Mikhail Saakashvili .

The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Georgia on Tuesday to hand him Tbilisi’s formal protest, calling the intrusion and firing of the missile “undisguised aggression and a gross violation of sovereignty of the country.”

Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko told reporters after receiving the note that Russian aircraft had not dropped the weapon. Georgia has long accused Russia of trying to destabilise the country and of backing separatists in its breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. — AP

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