Russian tanks have entered Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, says Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Georgia has been fighting separatists with ties to Russia in order to regain control of the province, which has had de facto independence since the 1990s.
Russian troops in the South Ossetian capital said their artillery had begun firing at Georgian forces, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia's president earlier promised to defend his citizens in South Ossetia.
Moscow's defence ministry said more than 10 of its peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia had been killed and 30 wounded in the Georgian offensive. At least 15 civilians are also reported dead.
(more in the link)
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Earlier on, I watched the opening of the Olympic Games, having already read about the hostilities before. When the Georgian team entered, the commentators said that news were just in that there had been massive bombings in the capital (though if it was the capital of South Ossetia or Georgia itself was not clear). The picture went right to an extremely grim-faced Putin watching the Georgian team (whose smiles did not look very cheerful at all) entering.
But just a minute afterwards, all was forgotten and the party went on.
Georgia has been fighting separatists with ties to Russia in order to regain control of the province, which has had de facto independence since the 1990s.
Russian troops in the South Ossetian capital said their artillery had begun firing at Georgian forces, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia's president earlier promised to defend his citizens in South Ossetia.
Moscow's defence ministry said more than 10 of its peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia had been killed and 30 wounded in the Georgian offensive. At least 15 civilians are also reported dead.
(more in the link)
___
Earlier on, I watched the opening of the Olympic Games, having already read about the hostilities before. When the Georgian team entered, the commentators said that news were just in that there had been massive bombings in the capital (though if it was the capital of South Ossetia or Georgia itself was not clear). The picture went right to an extremely grim-faced Putin watching the Georgian team (whose smiles did not look very cheerful at all) entering.
But just a minute afterwards, all was forgotten and the party went on.