Russian chief negotiator for South Ossetian conflict issues Yuri Popov said on September 4 that a helicopter incident in the conflict zone was triggered by the Georgian side after the Georgian army aircraft ?violated the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.?
Popov told the RIA Novosti news agency that he has ?fractional information? about the incident, ?but I can state that the incident has already seriously worsened the situation in the conflict zone.?
?It is the Georgian side?s fault that the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone airspace was violated. I do not want to comment on the actions of those who opened fire on the helicopter, but initially the incident was provoked by the Georgian side because [Georgian] aircraft have no right to violate conflict zone airspace,? Popov said.
Earlier the Russian command of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces stationed in the conflict zone said that unauthorized flights over the conflict zone violate the 2002 agreement signed in the frames of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC).
Yuri Popov also said that the Russian Foreign Ministry has no information about the South Ossetian side?s reports that the Georgian army helicopter was the first to open fire.
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