Occupants renew fire protection works in de facto Tskhinvali
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, September 14
Local authorities of the Gori municipality have announced that occupant forces in the country’s eastern, breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region have appeared near Khurvaleti village to continue work on the fire protection zone they dug in early August.
“Two agricultural vehicles appeared at Khurvaleti village, near occupied Tskhinvali, to work at the site. They have not been seen in other places and no new ploughs were reported either,” Gori Governor’s representative Roin Adikashvili said.
The de-facto Security Service of Tskhinvali announced the launching of engineering works to restore the fire protection zone "at the border with Georgia” on August 2.
The agency claimed that the works were being carried out because of risks of fire in the breakaway area and would continue between August 3 and 18.
The government of Georgia condemned their work and stressed it was another provocation by occupants.
The information was released by the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster a day before its confirmation, but the local authorities dismissed the fact.
They stressed there were no vehicles in the territory.
Georgia’s Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili responded to the renewal, calling it as a continuation of the Russian aggression in the territory of Georgia and a provocative step.
She stressed Georgia is doing its utmost to resolve conflicts peacefully, with the support of its foreign allies.
Russia stresses in all its official statements that Georgia should recognize Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states.
Only Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru recognized the Georgian regions as independent states in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
