Georgian MFA: Release of Russian Officers an Act of Good Will

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on February 11 that the release of three Russian military officers who were detained in the South Ossetian conflict zone on February 8 for not having Georgian entry visas, was a demonstration of Georgia’s “good will.”

The Georgian MFA also said that the Russian officers, who were released on February 10 under the condition that they leave the country, have already returned to Russia.

“The detained officers arrived in Georgia without entry visas, passports and illegally through the Roki pass [linking South Ossetia with Russia’s North Ossetia]. Despite these grave violations, the Georgian government demonstrated good will and released the Russian citizens,” the statement issued by the Georgian Foreign Ministry on February 11 reads.
 
In the statement the Georgian Foreign Ministry denied reports that the Georgian side deployed 250 servicemen to the conflict zone. “This information is not true, that was confirmed by the results of monitoring carried out by the OSCE [observers],” the statement reads.