Georgia: Russia fired missile at village

Russian fighter jets have reportedly attacked a village close to the Georgian capital Tbilisi, plunging deeply strained relations between the ex-Soviet neighbours into serious crisis.

Farmers examine what is claimed to be a motor from the missile
Farmers with what is claimed to be a motor from the missile

The government of President Mikhail Saakashvili condemned what it called an unprovoked "act of aggression" by Moscow and summoned Russia’s ambassador to Tbilisi to demand an explanation.

Vano Merabishvili, Georgia’s interior minister, said that two Sukhoi attack aircraft entered Georgian airspace from Russia at 7.30 pm last night and fired at least one air-to-surface missile towards the village of Tsitelubani, 40 miles west of Tbilisi.

The missile carved a 5-metre deep crater into a corn and potato field but failed to detonate.

The Kremlin was quick to deny Russian involvement in the attack.

Mr Merabishvili said sappers had defused the missile and were now studying Cyrillic markings on its tail-fin to establish its exact provenance.

Map of Georgia
Neighbouring Georgia and Russia have a history of tense relations

"We cannot understand why this has happened," he said by telephone from Tbilisi.

"This village has no political or military importance. But less than 5 kilometres from the area is a Georgian tracking radar, and it is my view and the view of our military that this was the target."

President Saakashvili summoned his ministers for and emergency cabinet meeting. He is expected to make a statement later today.

Relations have been strained between Russia and Georgia since the westernising Mr Saakashvili was swept to power in the Rose Revolution of 2003.

Determined to break the Kremlin's grip on the country, the president has pushed to join both the European Union and Nato - prompting fury in Moscow.

Simmering tensions escalated last year after Georgia expelled four Russian officers accused of spying.

Moscow responded by closing its embassy in Tbilisi and severing transport and postal links.

Thousands of Georgians living in Russia were also rounded up and deported - a move that prompted international condemnation.

The two countries have also bickered over the future of two breakaway regions of Georgia whose rebel administrations are backed, and possibly armed, by Moscow.

The site of the alleged attack is close to South Ossetia, one of those regions, which has seen an upsurge of fighting between separatists and Georgian soldiers since 2004.

Hopes had been raised recently, however, for a peace settlement - something opposed by sections of the Russian military who have profited from South Ossetia’s lawlessness.