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Caucasus Militants Freeze All Georgia
Yesterday’s explosions knocked out two branches of Mozdok-Tbilisi gas pipeline in North Ossetia and power transmission towers in Karachayevo-Cherkesia. As a result, Georgia and Armenia have been left with no gas of Russia and Georgia faces material decline in supplied power. In the wake of explosions, Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili lashed out at Russia, blaming it for having engineered the energy crisis in his country. Armenia has not attacked yet on hopes, perhaps, that President Robert Kocharyan will be able to find a way out in Moscow, where he rushed Sunday.
The main gas pipeline that exports Russia’s gas to Georgia and onward to Armenia was knocked out by two explosions near the mountain village of Nizhny Lars, some 30 kilometers to the south of Vladikavkaz. The first explosion happened at 2:52 a.m.; the second one followed in 20 minutes.
After a while, gas operators registered the sudden drop in pressure and closed gas control valves. Emergency officers arrived in no time. The check showed the pipes were blown up by two homemade bombs with explosion yield of between 700 grams and 800 grams in TNT equivalent.
According to the experts, it will take at least two days to repair North Caucasus-Transcaucasia gas pipeline provided the work is carried out in emergency mode.
Power transmission towers in Karachayevo-Cherkesia exploded yesterday midday, close to town of Karachayev, having hit the high-voltage line that transmits up to 500 MW to Georgia. Investigators spotted bombs with explosion force of 6 kilograms of TNT.
Currently Russia delivers to Georgia 100 MW via Salkhino high-voltage line, Abkhazia.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili didn’t waste time, actually blaming Russia for cutting gas supplies to his country and triggering an energy crisis there.
Meanwhile, all heating power plants stopped in Georgia and the country is short of around 500 MW, i.e. a third of required volume.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 23, 2006
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