Eurasia Press & News
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian soldiers now in the South Ossetian capital say their artillery has begun firing at Georgian forces – the first confirmed engagement between the two countries’ troops, Russian agencies reported.
“Georgian troop positions firing on Tskhinvali and peacekeepers were suppressed by artillery fire and tank units of the 58th Army, which are outside the capital of South Ossetia,” Russian army Colonel Igor Konashenkov, television channel Vesti-24 quoted him as saying.
Russian commanders said they would respond firmly to any Georgian attempts to open fire, Russian agencies reported.
“In future, any shooting in the zone of Russian peacekeepers will be firmly blocked,” Konashenkov said.
