Russian Military Criticize OSCE Observers
Russian military official has claimed that OSCE observers in Tskhinvali were aware of planned Georgian attack, but did not informed about it the Russian peacekeeping command.
“We have complaints towards the OSCE’s performance at the initial stage of the conflict,” Interfax news agency quoted Anatoly Nogovitsin, deputy chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, as saying at a news conference in Moscow on August 21.
“They [OSCE observers on the ground] were informed by the Georgian side about the planned incursion, but the Russian peacekeepers were not warned about it… This is something which needs to be thought about,” he added.
The criticism comes after the OSCE decided to immediately send 20 unarmed observers “to the areas adjacent to South Ossetia” to monitor ceasefire accord. It is not yet clear exactly where they will be deployed. OSCE has also decided to increase number of observers up to 100 sometime in the future. Russia seemed to be against of an immediate deployment of large number of observers on the ground.
