Georgian MoD Denies Russian Military Aircraft Overflights

Ministry of Defense has denied a Georgian newspaper report about Russian fighter jets and military transport aircraft flying over Georgia.

"The Georgian Ministry of Defense does not confirm information on opening Georgia’s airspace for Russian jet fighters," MoD said in a statement on January 15.

The Georgian weekly, Kviris Palitra, reported on January 13 that five Russian SU-27 fighter jets and IL-76 aircraft flew over Georgia on January 10 before making a refueling stopover in Armenia; the report, which did not provide any source, also said that the aircraft were en route to Bahrain for an international airshow and would fly back to Russia through the same route over Georgia on January 20. The report said that it was the first such flight of Russian military aircraft over Georgia since the August, 2008 war.

The Georgian MoD said that the report "is not true." "Report that the Georgian airspace will be open for the same aircraft on January 20 is not true either," it said.

Georgian state-owned air navigation service provider, Sakaeronavigatsia, also denied the report.

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