Russia/Georgia Situation News & Updates

and still NOTHING at reuters.com!

Meanwhile Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, flanked by the leaders of Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Latvia in a separate media briefing, said Russian tanks were attacking and "rampaging" through the Georgian town of Gori despite the cease-fire.

However journalists in Gori said they had seen no Russian tanks. Residents there told the journalists they had earlier seen "some" Russian tanks, but not in large numbers.

A Russian military official also disputed Georgia's claims.

"I tell you with full responsibility that there are no Russian tanks in Gori today and there is no reason to be," because Gori authorities have fled the city, said General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff.

edition.cnn.com...

So far we have Reuters witnesses, Sky News reporters, and Gori residents all saying two things.

1) That South Ossetian militia have entered the city, are looting, and that some reporters had their equipment stolen from them at gunpoint.

2) That Russian forces have entered the outskirts of Gori, setting up checkpoints, including one on a road leading east to the capital.

However, the last official Russian word regarding this was as follows:

"I tell you with full responsibility that there are no Russian tanks in Gori today and there is no reason to be," because Gori authorities have fled the city, said General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff.

It is still possible, even with the live broadcasts claiming otherwise, that this is somehow a case of misidentification and that we're dealing strictly with militia.

We can't jump to any conclusions. It sure sounds like Russia has entered Gori, however we don't know with 100% certainty. Hopefully the news will become clearer shortly.

If they did enter Gori, we also don't know why or on what grounds. (i.e. what is Russia's side of this story?)

Originally posted by chips
reply to post by Mammoth

 

Are you watching Sky News TV, too, Mammoth?

This is happening.

Yup, i can confirm this, Sky News had another reporter on the phone and he says a combined force of Russians/South Ossetians are now in Gori, and have surrounded it, he spoke to another civilian leaving the area and was told that his village was being set on fire, also civilians are being shot. Vehicles are taken away, and afterwards i saw that sky news reported Abkhazian fighters moved into Georgia.

However, watching western media has learned me a few things, dont take it as the truth right away, it's biased at times.

[edit on 13-8-2008 by Mammoth]

I can confirm that there ARE russian (maybe chechen and kazakhs) looting the town of Gori.The people are fleeing the town of Gori.

Independant news from Estonia
gruusia.postimees.ee...(in estonian sry)

Chips, I am currently watching SKY NEWS upon you request.

They just reported that "Russian tanks are in Gori, but that can't be verified independently".

No journalist standing with tanks, no pictures of the tanks - nothing.

Either you are lying and deserve an immediate ban, or I am watching the wrong SKY channel.

I am watching SKY NEWS over this site (in real time):
freetube.110mb.com...

reply to post by AceWombat04


That's the thing - there is no misidentification.

Either the Russian army is in Gori, or the reporter (who said live via phone 5 minutes ago that he is standing with both the actual Russian army and Ossetian militia) is lying.

Originally posted by absente
Chips, I am currently watching SKY NEWS upon you request.

They just reported that "Russian tanks are in Gori, but that can't be verified independently".

No journalist standing with tanks, no pictures of the tanks - nothing.

Either you are lying and deserve an immediate ban, or I am watching the wrong SKY channel.

I am watching SKY NEWS over this site (in real time):
freetube.110mb.com...

Give him some time. I don't think he is lying. There can be many misunderstanding in these times. Let time decide.

reply to post by absente


The feed you're watching isn't live. It's a pre-recorded feed.

I have just watched the video from Sky News describing the Russian tanks entering Gori. This is a transcript, which I just typed while watching it. I hope this helps.

"We were filming smoking villages around Gori. It's clear that there were - we're not quite sure - perhaps rebel forces initially, people talked of um, stealing, then there were more reports coming out about people being shot, houses set on fire.

We were just filming that when, suddenly, the Russian army turned up. About 40 tanks, about 15 supply vehicles just rolled past us, with their guns at the ready, definitely looking like they were ready to engage.

And we have seen other people coming out talking about already large casualties. Again, that's really not something I can confirm. All I can tell you is what I saw was the Russian tanks setting up really on the outskirts of Gori - they weren't there this morning - and I can now see some smoke rising up from the area we just came from."


Sky News video

It shouold be noted however that this report was before the identification of the robbers of the journalists as perhaps being Ossetian militia, so it's still not entirely clear. In the video they cite a witness report saying the Russian army had robbed Norwegian journalists, whereas we now know that the robbers were later said to probably be militia. What that says about the tanks, I don't know.

[edit on 8/13/2008 by AceWombat04]

reply to post by absente

Yup, i can confirm this, Sky News had another reporter on the phone and he says a combined force of Russians/South Ossetians are now in Gori, and have surrounded it, he spoke to another civilian leaving the area and was told that his village was being set on fire, also civilians are being shot. Vehicles are taken away, and afterwards i saw that sky news reported Abkhazian fighters moved into Georgia.

Thanks, Mammoth

No, bro - I promise you I'm not lying.

FROM BBC
In Gori, the Russian tanks seem to be dismantling and destroying Georgian army bases there, our correspondent says.

The situation may well be worse in outlying villages, our correspondent adds.

Russia again insists it has no troops in Gori

MOSCOW, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday said it had no troops in the Georgian town of Gori, denying Georgian reports that Russian tanks were rolling into the town.

"No Russian peacekeepers or any troops have been sent to Gori," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said by telephone when asked about media reports that Russian forces were in Gori.

www.alertnet.org...

Chips been reporting for few days and never lied and later on it be confirmedwhatever he says i believe

SKY REPORT(website)

A Sky News team has been robbed at gunpoint on the outskirts of the Georgian city of Gori by men thought to be South Ossetian separatist militia.

Originally posted by rixhell
FROM BBC
In Gori, the Russian tanks seem to be dismantling and destroying Georgian army bases there, our correspondent says.

The situation may well be worse in outlying villages, our correspondent adds.

And here's a link to that news.bbc.co.uk... for those who want confirmation of the story.

This is all quite distressing.

[edit on 8/13/2008 by AceWombat04]

reply to post by AceWombat04


Indeed it is.

I can't believe some of you think that I would lie to you, though! I'm just doing my utmost to keep on top of this like all you guys

Who really is in command of Russian troops? I doubt with their chain of command the army is taking actions on it's own accord without asking or getting orders?

reply to post by AceWombat04


Cheers mate

this from gaurdian.co.uk:

Villages in Georgia were being burned and looted as Russian tanks followed by "irregulars" advanced from the breakaway province of South Ossetia, eyewitnesses said today.

"People are fleeing, there is a mood of absolute panic. The idea there is a ceasefire is ridiculous," Luke Harding, the Guardian's correspondent, said.