Reports: Anti-Aircraft Gun Confiscated from S.Ossetia

A self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system, model ZU 23-3, and a mobile radio station belonging to the Defense Ministry forces of breakaway South Ossetia was confiscated by the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF), the unrecognized republic’s official agency Press and Information Committee reported on January 16.

According to this report, the anti-aircraft system was installed in the village of Dmenisi and was found after a monitoring operation was carried out by the JPKF, involving the Georgian, Ossetian and Russian peacekeepers, and OSCE observers on January 13-14.

The South Ossetian Press and Information Committee quoted Defense Minister of the unrecognized republic Anatoly Barankevich as saying that the anti-aircraft machine gun system was brought to the village of Dmenisi from the Java district, which is regarded to be a stronghold of the South Ossetian militias, north of the capital Tskhinvali and outside of the conflict zone.

“Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili has several times announced his plans to come to the villages of South Ossetia via helicopter. The Ministry of Defense of South Ossetia is ordered to down any flying object conducting unauthorized flights over South Ossetia and Okruashvili’s helicopter will not be an exception,” Anatoly Barankevich said.