Blast Close to Russian Peacekeeper Post
An explosive went off close to a Russian peacekeeper post on the Abkhaz administrative border early on July 2, Russian news agencies reported. No one was injured.
A representative of the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region told RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies that it was “a provocation” carried out by the Georgian secret services aimed at destabilizing the situation.
“An unidentified vehicle passed the Georgian Interior Ministry’s post [in the Zugdidi district on the Georgian side of the administrative border], moving towards [peacekeeper] post number 301,” Aleksander Diordiev, an aide to the commander of the peacekeeping troops, said. “When the vehicle was within about 300 meters of the post, it turned around and at that moment something was tossed from the vehicle, which was then followed by a blast.”
He said that the vehicle returned though the Georgian Interior Ministry post without even being stopped.
“The actions of the Georgian secret services are of a provocative nature, which aim at destabilizing the situation in the southern part of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone and also at provoking the peacekeepers,” Diordiev added.