Russia - Georgia: rocketing the sparrows

Georgian politicians and experts are at a loss: why did Russia need to deploy the C-300 missile system in Abkhazia, while Georgia does not have adequate weapons. And since the unequivocal answer was not found, different versions are being considered in Tbilisi, up to the Moscow military inferiority complex.

Colonel General Alexander Zelin, commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, announced the deployment of the C-300 anti-aircraft missile system in Abkhazia. According to Moscow, the air defense system is deployed in Abkhazia as part of an agreement to establish Russian military bases on Abkhaz territory of February 17 from 2010. According to the document, Russian military bases may be located on the territory of Abkhazia for 49 years.

In Tbilisi, however, it was recalled that the ceasefire agreement of August 2008 obliges Russia not only not to introduce additional weapons into Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but, on the contrary, to demilitarize these regions. “The deployment of this type of weapons in Abkhazia is contrary to the cease-fire agreement, according to which Russia must withdraw its armed forces from Abkhazia,” explained Georgian Speaker David Bakradze.

In his opinion, the motivation of Russia's actions in Abkhazia is complex: “On the one hand, it wants to change the balance of forces in the region, on the other - to show everyone that its policy in Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not change under any pressure.”

The speaker believes that there is a third circumstance: “Russia is implementing an absolutely absurd idea of ​​its leadership, according to which a buffer zone should be created for the Olympic Games in Sochi”.
Judging by the verbal component of Georgia, the deployment of Abkhazia C-300 was an unpleasant surprise for her, although State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said that Russia delivered C-300 to Abkhazia two years ago. "This news outdated, ”he said.

However, a somewhat different reaction was from the US ambassador to Tbilisi, John Bass. According to him, “it is not clear from press information whether this system was located there or whether it is a new placement”. The diplomat stressed that the reason for this confusion is the closeness of Abkhazia.

“The international community highly appreciates Georgia’s cooperation with the EU observer mission, but we don’t see a similar approach on the part of Abkhazia. This is not conducive to stability and its preservation in the short term, as well as, in the long term, the restoration of the territorial integrity of Georgia, ”said Bass.

Be that as it may, but it is quite obvious, and this was stressed by the Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Teimuraz Yakobashvili, that "C-300 is inadequate even to the theoretical danger from Georgia." Thus, he believes, Russia is really focused on changing the balance of forces in the region. We note, however, that so far no one has voiced the essence of such a change, and it is unlikely because the version is untenable, but because of its frightening content for the mass consciousness.

As one of the Georgian experts told Rosbalt, “the deployment of the C-300 in Abkhazia from a military point of view and in the context of Georgia looks completely absurd, these rockets can only shoot down sparrows”. Hence the conclusion: “Russia's actions are of a purely political and frightening character, and it doesn’t give a damn about the world’s opinion, since CFE Treaty she went out".

According to another version, the deployment of S-300 in Abkhazia is directed against NATO, in particular, one of its most capable units - Turkey. There is also an opinion that Russia is installing air defense systems for blackmailing civil and military aviation Georgia and its Western partners in case of their "bad behavior" - after all, many transit routes pass through the Georgian sky.

It is also possible, some experts believe, that Russia simply suffers from a military inferiority complex. Firstly, at the present time it does not conduct open military actions, secondly, its armament, at least in comparison with the US, is very outdated, and the "posterschit" surrounding hunting.
However, it is unrealistic to know why Russia actually needs C-300 in Abkhazia at this stage. Most likely, for nothing. However, a diplomatic reaction to the deployment of the air defense system in the “land of the soul” is quite real. The French Foreign Ministry, the intermediary state of the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, expressed “concern” over the deployment of anti-aircraft missiles in Abkhazia. According to the official Paris, "this will not contribute to stabilization in the region." The French Foreign Ministry called "all parties for restraint and for the full implementation of the agreements of August 12 and September 8 of 2008 of the year."

As for the Georgian Foreign Ministry, it demanded decisive measures from the international community so that Russia would stop the militarization of the occupied territories of the country. “It is absolutely incomprehensible what goals this extremely dangerous, provocative step can serve, representing a threat not only to the Black Sea region, but also to European security as a whole,” the Foreign Ministry said.
They also expressed indignation at the fact that "inadequate weapons had fallen into the hands of inadequate people, which, according to the words of the commander-in-chief of the Russian air force Zelin, endanger the safety of civil aviation."

Note that the diplomatic scandal broke out on the eve of the second anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement - it was signed on August 12. The significant date was for Tbilisi another reason to remind Russia that it “succeeded” in failing to fulfill its obligations.

Moreover, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that Russia did not withdraw its weapons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia and even multiplied it; in the conflict regions, civilians are constantly being robbed, abducted, set on fire at their homes, etc. “Russian occupiers and puppet regimes are responsible for many incidents in the territory adjacent to the administrative borders of Georgia, which resulted in the death of 11 law enforcement officials, 10 civilians and injured more than 90 people,” calculated in Tbilisi.

Georgia, in addition, accused the Russian military and FSB officers of permanently blocking the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and to nearby villages, stressing that "the Russian Federation and puppet regimes continue to politicize humanitarian issues, which is unacceptable and illegal."

Official Tbilisi also recalled that 10 on August 2008 of the year, the Georgian side unequivocally announced a cease-fire, and its armed forces returned to their places of permanent deployment. As for Russia, after the signing of the above agreement, its army "occupied additional Georgian territories, that is, those on which there was no military action - the Akhalgori district, the village of Perevi and Upper Abkhazia (Kodori Gorge)."

Comments

[Alex55]

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[kesa1111]

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[Stopper Fan]

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