Georgia: Russian Kidnapped In Georgievskoye Village In Abkhazia

A Russian was taken hostage in Georgievskoye, reports the Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia, self-proclaimed republic in Georgia. The man was staying in the village with his mother. Georgievskoye, a Greek- and Armenian-populated highland village in Abkhazia's Gulripsha district, was seized as a Chechen and Georgian militant force penetrated the locality from Georgia yesterday morning. The Abkhaz Defence Ministry dispatched an armed unit to the area as soon as panicky refugees informed the police. An Abkhaz soldier died as the unit clashed with the militants, noon. Five villagers are missing. The militants blockaded two Russian peacekeeping strongpoints in the Kodor gorge in the small hours today. No deaths have been reported by the Russian contingent, Abkhaz Foreign Ministry PR said to RIA Novosti in a telephone interview.