Russian Troops Destroy Railway Bridge-Tbilisi

Reuters ^ | 16 Aug 2008 | Margarita Antidze

[edpc]

TBILISI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Georgia's Interior Ministry said on Saturday that Russian troops had blown up a railway bridge about 45 km (30 miles) from the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said troops had destroyed the bridge in the Kaspi region west of Tbilisi, "paralysing the Georgian railway network". Reuters could not independently verify the report.

A Reuters correspondent saw Russian armoured personnel carriers and soldiers advance to the area on Friday from the Russian-occupied town of Gori near breakaway South Ossetia.

[edpc]

Short report in full. No further text at link. "Excerpted" due to posting rules.

[jhpigott]

ping

[Shaun_MD]

The fight for Tbilisi is about to begin.

[justa-hairyape]

Found a detailed topogrpahic map of Tbilis (unfortunately in Russian) that explains why the Georgians retreated and made their stand in Tbilisi. There is only one road into Tblisi from the North West. It runs through a very tight river gorge. The road is along the river. The Russians must be afraid of exposing their tanks to the (Israeli made?) anti tank weapons. So the only way for the Russians to take Tbilis now (besides a costly frontal assault through the river gorge) is to come from the South. So we could see some movement out west where the RUssian armor starts heading south along the main road. Obviously it would help if some bridges out west were wired for explosion. There are two roads coming from the south west into the south Tbilisi area. Should note that there is also a Russian military base in Gurymri Armenia. They could move their force of ~60 T70's tanks up toward Tbilisi and attack from the south. I am assuming they would be picked up however on the sats.

Here is the report of Russian Tank movement over night from the BBC.

Russian forces still control Gori, which lies some 15km (10 miles) from the border with South Ossetia.

Several tanks and armoured personnel carriers were seen in Kaspi, west of Gori and some 35km north-east of the capital Tbilisi - an advance of some 15km on their previous position. Lorries of soldiers were seen heading towards the town.

Meanwhile, Russian troops were seen patrolling in Zestafoni, some 100km west of Gori along a major highway.

Georgian officials also said Russian forces remained in the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti, the site of a major oil shipment facility, and a major Russian military contingent is further inland, at Senaki.

The crisis began on 7 August, when Georgian forces launched a surprise attack to regain control of South Ossetia, which has had de facto independence since the end of a civil war in 1992.

Last night a large armor group was seen going toward Senaki. Where are they now ? I heard they were heading toward Kutaisi. Were sure dont want to see them head south from there.
Please note that the above map was made by the UN in October 2003 apparently before South Ossetia was an autonomous region.

[edpc]

The fight for Tbilisi is about to begin.

That, or the Russians are engaging in a scorched-earth policy to decimate the Georgian infrastructure as much as possible before pulling back. I see no evidence, however, the Russians have any intentions of stopping.

[Shaun_MD]

I’ve been saying all along that Russia needs to secure it’s southern flank for the war that is about to come. With it’s southern flank secured it will be easier to come to the defense of Iran.

[LjubivojeRadosavljevic]

The fight for Tbilisi is about to begin.

Let's hope it doesn't last 900 days.

[justa-hairyape]

History has a way of repeating itself.
The 11th Red Army of the Russian SFSR occupies Tbilisi, 25 February 1921.

[maquiladora]

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, earlier this morning... :

08:26 – General Alarm was declared in 71st Tank Battalion of the Russian army, stationed in Tskhinvali. The Battalion is now heading towards Gori. As of now, they are in the village of Karaleti.

08:47 – The battalion has stopped in the village Karaleti. The group is composed of lots of armored personnel carriers, tanks, army trucks and engineer unit. The staff meeting is taking place. The general joined later arriving by helicopter.

http://mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7434

[maquiladora]

Georgian armoured vehicles seized in S. Ossetia: Russia

16 August 2008 | 13:28 | FOCUS News Agency

Moscow. Russia’s army has seized 100 Georgian armoured vehicles, including 65 tanks and five ground-to-air missile launchers, in operations near South Ossetia, Russian news agencies reported Saturday, cited by AFP.

The military materiel also included 15 light armoured vehicles, said Colonel Igor Konashenkov, of the Russian infantry staff.

For the most part, the armoured vehicles had been manufactured in Ukraine, he said, adding that an unspecificied number of US-made troop transporters had also been found.

D-30 cannons and Czech-manufactured artillery systems also featured on the list of materiel which the Russian army said it had recovered.

[Shaun_MD]

This may shape up to be a very bad day. Let’s hope the Russian’s get another “Finnish Surprise”

[justa-hairyape]

Freedom Square, Tbilisi

[livius]

Russia’s army has seized 100 Georgian armoured vehicles, including 65 tanks and five ground-to-air missile launchers, in operations near South Ossetia

"Near." In other words, in Georgia

[Tommyjo]

It isn’t. Calm down.

[Tommyjo]

The Russian President has now signed the ceasefire deal. The Russians are destroying as many economic and military targets as possible. They were filmed yesterday on the Georgian Black Sea Coast destroying the remains of the Georgian Navy and Coastguard.

[justa-hairyape]

The Russian President has now signed the ceasefire deal.

That is a piece of paper. It is meaningless.

[maquiladora]

“The US President has called an emergency meeting of his security officials to discuss the crisis in Georgia.”

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/north-america/bush-calls-emergency-meeting-about-georgia-1457286.html

I don’t know what newswire that came from first. Sounds interesting.

[TomGuy]

EMAIL FROM TBILISI

08/15/2008 11:32:27 AM PDT · by MarMema · 51 replies · 728+ views my email ^ | august 15th, 2008 | my friend in tbilisi My dear friend, I hope God will bless Georgia and all People who lives there - Georgians and other nations. We are tired to live under Russia's pressure. They didn't change. Their mentality still is communist, fascist mentality. They didn't change even the hymn - it is the same as it was in Soviet Union. Georgia is the part of Europe. We have the right to live like all other Europe ( not Russia) lives. It is strange, that all other world can't press Russia to move back. It seems, that Russia is more stronger, that all civilized world? Today...

[justa-hairyape]

GORI, Georgia (Reuters) - The United States demanded that Russia pull its troops out of Georgia immediately, but there was no immediate response from Moscow.

[justa-hairyape]

DW-World.DE
Russian troops dig in in Georgia

Despite a French-brokered ceasefire in the Caucasus, Russian troops are digging in close to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Although fighting has halted, Russian forces show no sign of pulling out more than a week after invading Georgia.