Russia and Georgia on the brink of war as four planes are shot down and 15 civilians killed in South Ossetia fighting

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated at 5:12 PM on 08th August 2008







The Caucasus teetered on the brink of all-out war today as Russia sent tanks and fighter jets into the breakaway region of South Ossetia to support it against an invasion by Georgia.

At least 15 civilians were reported to have been killed in heavy fighting in the province’s capital of Tskhinvali between separatist rebels and Georgian forces.

Georgia had attacked with aircraft and heavy artillery to regain control of the region and troops fired missiles into the city. Buildings were ablaze, and it was reported that a hospital was hit by Georgian shelling.



Strike: Georgian shells are fired at separatist rebels in South Ossetia today

TV pictures showed a convoy of more than 150 Russian tanks and armoured cars entering South Ossetia today. They were expected to reach the regional capital this afternoon as it was reported that the city had been 'almost totally destroyed'.

Georgia also claimed to have shot down two Russian fighter planes over its territory.
Another official said Russian jets were also bombing a Georgian military airbase outside the capital,Tblisi.

The intense fighting was the worst outbreak of hostilities since the province won de-facto independence from Georgia in 1992 - raising fears of full-blown war in the volatile Caucasus, a vital energy transit route where Russia and the West vie for influence.



Georgian tanks move along a road near the city of Tskhinvali, 60 miles from Tbilisi

Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili said Russian aircraft bombed several Georgian villages and other civilian facilities.

'A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia,' Mr Saakashvili said in a televised statement. He announced a full military mobilisation with reservists being
called into action.

Georgia also claimed that Russian fighter jets had violated its airspace and dropped bombs on the region, injuring many civilians.


Ossetian women and children escaping from South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali under the heavy fire of Georgian army

Georgia’s minister for integration, Temur Yakobashvili, said Georgia’s aim was not to take over the territory but to finish 'a criminal regime'. The head of Georgian peacekeepers in South Ossetia said the operation was intended to 'restore constitutional order'.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin raised the temperature by saying the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali would bring retaliation.

The defence ministry in Moscow denounced the Georgian attack as a 'dirty adventure' and said: 'Bloodshed in South Ossetia will weigh on their conscience.'



A Georgian soldier sits on a tank, while a Russian bomber drops its load



Georgian troops ride in armoured personnel carriers during the conflict today

It was reported that some Russian peacekeepers, who Georgia claims back the separatists, had been killed in today’s fighting.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev later chaired a session of his Security Council in the Kremlin, vowing that Moscow will protect Russian citizens.

'In accordance with the constitution and the federal law, I, as president of Russia, am obliged to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are located,' he said.



Protectors: Russia, which sent peacekeepers, vowed to defend its 'compatriots'

'We won’t allow the death of our compatriots to go unpunished.'

At the request of Russia, the UN Security Council held an emergency session in New York last night but failed to reach consensus on a Russian-drafted statement.

The council concluded it was at a stalemate after the US, Britain and some other members backed the Georgians in rejecting a phrase in the three-sentence draft statement that would have required both sides 'to renounce the use of force', council diplomats said.

Russia also has close ties with a separatist regime in Abkhazia, another Georgian breakaway province.



Welcome: A man greets Georgian troops moving into Tskhinvali





'Total mobilisation': Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili ordered all men to go to recruitment centres