Russia's drive into Georgia shows no signs of slowing
Russian television says Russian troops appear to have taken over Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway South Ossetia republic. Georgia's call for a cease-fire is brushed off by Russian government.
MOSCOW -- Georgia called for a cease-fire today in its three-day war with Russia over control of a disputed breakaway republic of South Ossetia, but Moscow's offensive showed little sign of easing even amid reports that Georgian troops were retreating.
Russian troops appeared to have taken control over Tskhinvali, capital of the disputed Georgian republic in the Caucuses region, according to Russian television reports, which showed Russian tanks and armored vehicles on city streets that looked relatively calm. Thousands of civilians have fled the conflict, mostly into Russia's North Ossetia region. Witnesses have reported hundreds killed.
Georgia's attempt to retake Tskhnivali on Friday sparked the conflict between Russia, which has had peacekeeping troops stationed in the breakaway region, and the staunchly pro-American former Soviet republic. South Ossetia, which in turn is allied with Moscow, has been largely autonomous in recent years and is seeking independence from Georgia.
"Units of the Georgian armed forces have started pullout from Tskhinvali," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, spokesman for the Russian army general staff, told reporters today. "The withdrawal has been spotted by the peacekeeping forces' intelligence."
But signs of a withdrawal and calls for a cease-fire did not appear to calm Russia's drive to punish Georgia and humiliate its U.S.-educated president Mikheil Saakashvili, 40, an American ally and friend of President Bush who is despised by Moscow's leadership.
Moscow brushed aside calls from the Georgian government for a cease-fire, saying it had not received anything official.
"The Russian side did not receive any official proposals from the Georgian side to begin a peace processes and to stop the bloodshed," Nogovitsyn said. "Action, not declarations, are necessary from the Georgian side."
But, he added, "There are no, and there cannot be, any direct contacts with Georgia."
At a time when the U.S. is pushing against Moscow's strenuous objections to install missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, countries formerly under Russian control, the offensive also serves as a message to capitals from Eastern Europe to Central Asia about the potential perils of defying Russia within what it considers its strategic sphere of influence..
This morning, Moscow expanded the fighting to Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, bombing the Tbilaviastroi plane factory on the city's outskirts, according to Georgian security officials. At least one person was injured, Georgian media reported.
