September 28, 2006


Russia — Georgia Spy Row Deepens

The BBC reports that Georgian Police have surrounded the Headquarters of the Russian Army in Tbilisi and are not allowing anyone to enter or leave. The development comes after Russia refused to handover one of its officers believed to be spying in Armenia’s northern neighbour. Five alleged spies have already been arrested.

In another development, the Russian embassy in Tbilisi on Thursday stopped receiving documents for issuing visas to Georgian nationals.

Wednesday’s arrests come as the already tense relations between Georgia and Russia have deteriorated over the past week, the BBC’s Matthew Collin in Tbilisi says.

Georgia has accused Russia of actively trying undermine its government by backing separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, our correspondent says.

Georgia also says Moscow is waging economic war against the country through embargoes on imports of Georgian products.

Russia has denied the allegations.

Posted by Onnik @ 6:57 pm. Filed under: Armenia, Georgia, Caucasus, Russia




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  1. The BBC now reports that Russia has is preparing to withdraw its Ambassador and other officials from Georgia. It has also advised other Russian nationals to avoid travel to the Republic.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5389504.stm

    Comment by Onnik — September 29, 2006 @ 2:45 am

  2. RFE/RL carries more and how it might or might not affect Armenia:

    Armenia distanced itself Thursday from the latest upsurge in Russian-Georgian tensions that has been triggered by the arrest of a group of Russian military officers for alleged spying which Georgia says was coordinated by Russian intelligence agents in Yerevan.

    Georgian authorities said on Wednesday that they detained four GRU (Russian military intelligence) officers as well as 11 Georgian citizens suspected of involvement in an alleged Russian plot against the pro-Western government in Tbilisi. Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said they “acted under the leadership from Yerevan” of a top GRU officer whom he identified as Anatoly Sinitsyn.

    Moscow angrily rejected the accusations, demanding an immediate release of its citizens. Reuters reported that Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov denounced as a “complete outrage” Georgia’s action which he said had also included the beating of a Russian officer and six soldiers in a separate incident in the Black Sea port of Batumi.

    Officials in Yerevan insisted that Armenia, Russia’s main regional ally, bears no responsibility for the acrimonious scandal. “We have nothing to do with that,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian, told RFE/RL.

    Colonel-General Mikael, the Armenian chief of staff, echoed the statement, urging journalists not to “jump into conclusions.” He also dismissed as irrelevant the fact that four of the arrested Georgian nationals are reportedly ethnic Armenians.

    Comment by Onnik — September 29, 2006 @ 3:14 am

  3. Russia urges UN to rebuke Georgia

    Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has called on the Security Council to censure Georgia for “dangerous and unacceptable” actions.

    It comes amid tension over the arrest in Georgia of four Russian military officers, who are accused of spying.

    Moscow has recalled its ambassador to Tbilisi and ordered the partial evacuation of Russian personnel from Georgia, which will begin later.

    Georgian forces are still surrounding a Russian military building in Tbilisi.

    They say another Russian they want to question is sheltering inside.

    The Georgian authorities have released video footage which they say shows the Russian officers discussing military installations with Georgian citizens and exchanging money.

    Georgia has also linked the five officers to an attack in the town of Gori which killed three police officers and injured dozens of people.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5389504.stm

    Comment by Onnik — September 29, 2006 @ 10:08 am

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