Tbilisi Calls on Western Diplomats to React on Reported Violation of Georgia Airspace

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergi Kapanadze, met on Friday with a group of western diplomats accredited in Tbilisi to discuss “violation of the Georgian airspace by three Russian military Mi-8 helicopters” on September 7, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

At a meeting with the U.S., UK, German, Italian, Dutch and French diplomats, as well as with heads of EU delegation and EU Monitoring Mission, the Georgian side stressed, that the September 7 violation of the Georgian airspace was “yet another breach” of 2008 ceasefire agreement by Russia, which aimed at “escalation of situation” in Georgia.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that Tbilisi had called on the western diplomats to give "a proper assessment to the violation of the Georgian airspace by the Russian armed forces and to continue pressing on Russia to respect ceasefire agreement."

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that three Russian Mi-8 helicopters intruded 3 kilometers deep into the Georgian airspace on September 7 and flew back to Russia fifteen minutes after circling over a Georgian border guard post close to Shatili village.

The Russian Ministry of Defense denied the allegation, saying on September 8, that “all flights of aircraft of military purposes are tracked by means of objective control and are conducted in strict observance of international rules… without violating borders of other state.”