Russia warned Georgia on Thursday against detention of its peacekeepers, saying the self-possession of Russian peacekeepers is not limitless and any further detention could end in bloodshed.
"The situation has changed drastically in the areas of Georgia-Abkhazia and Georgia-South Ossetia conflicts recently. The situation has aggravated dramatically," said Lt. Gen. Alexander Burutin, first deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency.
A car carrying Russian peacekeepers in the Georgia-Abkhazia conflict zone on Tuesday night "was attacked by civilians, who later turned out to be Georgian policemen," Burutin said.
"Under the circumstances, the Russian peacekeepers had the complete right to use their weapons and ammunition, to defend themselves and their equipment," he added, pointing out that the right to do so is granted by the mandate of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces, deployed in the region since a bloody Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in the early 1990s.
"We cannot guarantee that in possible future acts of sabotage, Russian peacekeepers will show the same restraint that they demonstrated in the June 17 incident, their self-possession is not limitless," said Burutin.
He warned that the Georgian side will be fully responsible for possible consequences.
On Tuesday, Georgia detained four Russian peacekeepers and a military truck for allegedly smuggling arms in the conflict zone with its northwestern breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Georgian police released the peacekeepers and returned the truck Wednesday.
Relations between Russia and Georgia are strained because of the latter's bid to join the NATO and Russia's alleged support to Georgia's breakaway regions.
Bilateral ties have further deteriorated in recent months, since Russia stepped up support for Abkhazia and sent more troops into the region.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article