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Georgia: Russia Trying to Surround Capital |
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Russian forces are moving toward the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and trying to encircle the city, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told CNN on Aug. 13.
"The Russians are encroaching upon the capital. They are making a circle," Saakashvili said. "We will protect our capital until the last drop of our blood. We will never surrender to the Russians."
The Georgian leader added that Georgian forces were stationed in and around Tbilisi and vowing an "all-out resistance" to the Russian forces.
His comments came just hours after French President Nicolas Sarzoky said Russia and Georgia had agreed a fragile cease-fire after five days of bitter conflict.
Russia, however, has accused Georgia of failing to pursue an "active withdrawal" from South Ossetia.
"Georgian forces have begun their pullback toward Tbilisi,, but no active withdrawal has yet been observed," said Russian Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the staff of the armed forces.
Russia's military said its forces were in the Georgian city of Gori removing military vehicles and munitions from Georgian army facilities, Russian news agencies reported.
"With the goal of demilitarizing the zone adjacent to the conflict, and likewise with the goal of guaranteeing the safety of the civilian population, Russian peacekeepers are removing these vehicles and munitions," a military spokesman was quoted as saying by Interfax and RIA Novosti, referring to an abandoned Georgian arsenal outside Gori.
Russia sent its military forces into Georgia's rebel region of South Ossetia on Aug. 8, after Tbilisi launched an operation to regain control of the pro-Moscow separatist area.
Saakashvili on Aug. 13 denied that Georgia had triggered the fighting by its actions, saying Georgian forces had only retaliated after first being fired on by Russian troops.
He also lashed out at his ally, the U.S., saying that early comments on the Russian attacks had not been tough enough.
"Well, frankly, some of the first statements from Washington were perceived by the Russians almost as a green light for doing this because they were too soft. Russians don't understand that kind of soft language," Saakashvili said.
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