Tbilisi says Russian exercises in Abkhazia, South Ossetia breach its sovereignty

10:30, 06.03.2015 1 min read

The ongoing exercises of Russian servicemen in Abkhazia and South Ossetia "encroach on the Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ongoing military exercises in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali district are violating the Georgian constitution, the norms and principles of international law, and the commitments Russia undertook by the treaty of August 12, 2008," the ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

It urged Russia "to honor its commitments, to withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory, and to de-occupy Georgian lands."

Air defense exercises involving over 2,000 servicemen are underway in southern Russia, at twelve ranges in the Southern, North Caucasus and Crimea federal districts and Russian military bases in Armenia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.