The Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a press release, which, based on Sokhumi-provided information, claims that two Georgian unmanned reconnaissance drones were allegedly downed by air defence systems of the separatist regime’s illegal armed units in the security zone, on 4 May 2008.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia declares with full responsibility that the above-mentioned ‘information’ is yet another provocation of Russia, which aims at facilitating Russia’s military intervention by providing information and propaganda support.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia would like to focus the international community’s attention on the fact that the Russian Foreign Ministry acknowledged, in its above-mentioned press release, the presence of the separatists’ air defence systems in the security zone and moreover, qualified as lawful their attack on Georgia’s unmanned air vehicle. It indicates clearly that Russian Federation’s so-called peacekeeping operation conducted under the umbrella of CIS has evolved into a complete fiction and can be seen as nothing else but an open military aggression against Georgia aimed at annexing a part of its internationally recognized sovereign territory.  

Unarmed unmanned air vehicles of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs always used to fly, still fly and will continue to do so in Georgia’s sovereign air space in order to obtain full information on military intervention of the Russian Federation.

Russia’s attempt to restrict, through so-called peacekeeping troops, Georgia’s sovereign right to exercise control over its own airspace is directed at escalation of the conflict and threatens international peace and security. 

Tbilisi, 4 May 2008