Posted on 08/11/2008 2:10:40 AM PDT by Schnucki
Thousands of people were this morning fleeing from the central Georgian city of Gori amid fears that Russia was about to invade the territory, as Moscow showed little sign of ending its military campaign.
Shota Utiashvili, a Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman, claimed that there was a "massive" aerial bombardment of the town.
Gori lies outside the borders of Georgia's rebel territory of South Ossetia, where the conflict began last week, suggesting that Russia plans to go further than simply driving Georgia out of the breakaway region.
"Gori is being bombed massively from the air and from artillery as well," said Mr Utiashvili. He added that Tbilisi had reports that Russian troops and tanks were preparing a ground attack.
The Reuters news agency today reported that dozens more Russian tanks and Hurricane multiple-rocket-launchers, along with thousands more Russian troops, were streaming into South Ossetia this morning.
Russian planes, meanwhile, bombed the base of a special forces battalion and an air traffic control centre in the suburbs of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, early today. The explosions could be heard from the centre of the city.
There were reports of air attacks on the Black Sea port of Poti and Russia claimed that it had sunk a Georgian cruiser in the Black Sea.
Amid contradictory reports, Russian troops were also said to have moved into another rebel Georgian region, Abkhazia. Georgia says it has received a Russian ultimatum that it must disarm troops near Abkhazia or face Russian forces moving into Georgian-controlled territory.
The developments came after President Saakashvili yesterday ordered his troops to pull out of South Ossetia, calling an immediate ceasefire and urging Russia to begin talks to end hostilities.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
But the Putin-poots here promised us that this is just about Ossetian’s rights. Now the Russian hordes invade Gori... I am so confused./sarc
SOME BIG DEMONSTRATIONS near russian embassies somewhere?
That’s what they said yesterday.
They said want the President out. If asked if they wanted regime change and were invading, they said that those were “American terms”.
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