Russia denies jet-missile attack on Georgia

Russia today denied a claim by Georgian officials who said two Russian fighter jets violated its airspace and fired a missile which did not explode.

Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Ustiashvili said the incident took place late yesterday when the aircraft entered Georgia’s airspace over the north-eastern Gori region and fired a missile which fell near the village of Shavshvebi and didn’t explode.

Ustiashvili said he had personally inspected the missile which landed on the outskirts of the village, just 25 yards away from a house. He said experts were considering what to do with the weapon.

Russia’s air force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky denied the accusations. “Russian aircraft haven’t conducted any flights over that area and haven’t violated Georgia’s airspace,” he said.

Relations between the two ex-Soviet nations are tense, and Georgian officials have frequently claimed that Russian military aircraft violated its airspace - accusations Russia has always denied.

Moscow is angry about Georgia’s plans to join Nato, while Tbilisi accuses Russia of backing separatists in its breakaway provinces and trying to destabilise Georgia.