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Saakashvili Accuses Russia of Military Aggression, Cossack Get Ready to Fight
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has accused Russia of “military aggression on a broad scale,” Novosti-Gruzia information agency reports. He demanded that Russia cease the bombing of Georgian cities. Russia is not officially interfering in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, although Georgian media claim that military aircraft approaching from the direction of Russia are bombing Georgian cities. Georgian journalists also claim that the Georgian military has downed a Russian plane.
Earlier, Georgian Minister of State for Reintegration Teimuraz Yakobashvili urged Russia to intervene as a peacemaker in the conflict. Tbilisi officially claims to control a large part of South Ossetia. Georgian forces are storming Tskhinvali, but they have not been successful in taking the city yet. Saakashvili declared a general mobilization of the reserves in an address to the nation.
In the meantime, Cossacks from the Voronezh Cossack District of the Great Don Host have begun assembling volunteers to aid South Ossetia, Ataman of the Voronezh Cossack District Nikolay Sapelkin told Interfax on Friday. Sapelkin said that “The Cossacks cannot remain impartial to the fate of a fraternal republic.” He continued, “In the condition of aggression from Georgia, the Don Cossacks of Voronezh Region, who support the course of the South Ossetian authorities toward independence, are prepared to take a stand among the defenders of the republic.”
Sapelkin explained that “All volunteers will be taken by bus to Stavropol, where the mobilization staff of the Great Don Host is already operating. From there, they will be sent to South Ossetia, where they will serve in special units, particularly the OMON special forces, under contract.”
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