Moscow Protests Seizure of Russian Peacekeepers’ Cargo

In a statement issued on August 15 the Russian Embassy in Georgia condemned the detention of Russian peacekeeping forces’ vehicles by the Georgian police and the seizure of goods, which, as the Embassy stated, “were intended for the servicemen of peacekeeping battalions.”

Georgian police detained one Russian peacekeeping vehicle in the Abkhaz conflict zone and the other in the South Ossetian conflict zone on August 12, seized the goods, mainly cigarettes and accused the Russian peacekeepers of smuggling.

“One more provocation has been committed against the peacekeeping forces stationed in the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflict zones… This [detention of vehicles and seizure of goods] occurred despite the fact that the vehicles carried the identifying sign of the peacekeeping forces, as well as all the necessary papers… These kinds of ‘activities’ of Georgian law enforcement agencies are done for the publicity… [These actions] create additional sources of tension in the conflict zones,” the statement of the Russian Embassy reads.

“The Russian Embassy in Georgia expresses its concern… and demands the immediate return of the seized goods, apologies and the taking of measures to prevent provocations of this kind in the future,” the statement reads.

Some reports say that the Georgian side has already returned the vehicles and food staff to the Russian peacekeepers, but not cigarettes and dozen of bottles of alcohol.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian)