Georgian Deputy Minister: Russia Fabricated Evidence

Evidence provided by Russian military experts relating to the August 6 missile incident was fabricated, Baku Kutelia, Georgia’s deputy defense minister, said on August 17.

“Information provided by them was extremely fragmentary and it only warrants criticism,” Kutelia said at a news conference. “After studying the evidence provided [by the Russians], we have the impression that they are suggesting that an aircraft never even flew over the concerned area. So we can conclude that we are witnessing an obvious attempt to fabricate evidence.”

He also said that the evidence provided by the group of Russian military experts which arrived in Tbilisi on August 16 to study the circumstances surrounding the August 6 incident, “has no value.”

“Hence, we don’t see any reason to continue consultation with the Russian side over this issue,” Kutelia said. “Georgia now expects that the international community will give a political assessment to the violation of Georgia’s airspace and the bombardment of its sovereign territory.”

Russian Foreign Ministry special envoy Valery Kenyakin, who is in the Russian delegation, said on August 16, that the Russian side had handed over to Georgia air radar records proving Moscow had nothing to do with the missile incident.

Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minster Zurab Nogaideli told reporters on August 17 that “everything is clear.”

“An aircraft came from Russia, which then bombed our territory,” he said. “Now it requires an appropriate response both from Russia and the international community.”