Georgia Claims Shooting Down Russian Jet

Georgian said its air defense system shot down one Russian aircraft after it flew over Gori at the time when President Saakashvili was visiting Gori accompanying the Finnish and French Foreign Ministers.

President Saakashvili’s security guard had to drive him away from Gori immediately after they heard a fighter jet overflying the town, which was bombed by the Russian aircraft for several times in recent days.

CNN and BBC World aired footage showing President Saakashvili in a bulletproof jacket suddenly looking up into the sky; his bodyguards grab him and put him down on the ground and shielding him with their bodies and additional bulletproofs. Seconds later the president’s security guard escorted him to a standing vehicle and drove away.

Shota Utiashvili, the Georgian Interior Ministry’s spokesman, said that two aircrafts flew over Gori and one of them was shot down bringing total number of Russian warplanes and helicopters downed by the Georgian forces to 19.

Russian Defense Ministry said four of its warplanes were shot down.