Russian embassy in Georgia looking into peacekeeping incident in South Ossetia

The weapons confiscated by Georgian troops from Russian peacekeepers on their way to Tskhinvali (the capital of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia) have been delivered to Tbilisi, Georgia's Interior Ministry reported.

On Wednesday, at about 5:00 a.m. Moscow time, Georgian police and troops detained near the village of Kekhvi in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone a convoy of ten trucks belonging to Russian peacekeepers.

RIA Novosti was told in the Interior Ministry of Georgia that the convoy was accompanied by up to 40 Russian troops, who were transporting about 300 air missiles for helicopters, radio transmitters, military uniforms, tents, fuel and other equipment. The cargo came from Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia). Out of the ten trucks eight were returned to the Russian peacekeepers, and two - with arms -confiscated.

As is noted in the Interior Ministry of Georgia, the first attempt to regain the confiscated arms was made by Russian peacekeepers outside the village of Kurta.

"There was one more attempt to get the cargo back near the village of Eredvi, where Russian servicemen blocked the passage of Georgian police and Interior Minister Irakly Okruashvili, who is in the conflict zone. Snipers were even landed, but after half-an-hour talks the Russian weapons were taken out of the conflict zone, and are at present delivered to Tbilisi," said the spokesman for Georgia's Interior Ministry.

As was reported in the Interior Ministry of Georgia, "General Svyatoslav Nabzdorov, commander of the Russian peacekeeping force in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, immediately arrived at the scene of the convoy's detention. He assured us that the detained weapons were intended for a military aerodrome. According to him, the sides had reached agreement on the transportation of military stores within the framework of the Mixed Control Commission, operating in the conflict zone," they said at the Interior Ministry of Georgia.

Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Georgia is looking into all circumstances of the convoy incident in South Ossetia. RIA Novosti was informed of this over the telephone from the diplomatic mission. The source of the agency confirmed an embassy representative had visited the place.

The operation to detain the convoy was directed by Georgia's Interior Minister Irakly Okruashvili himself, the embassy said.

A RIA Novosti correspondent reports from Vladikavkaz that the convoy which contained a replacement for the Russian peacekeeping battalion and was bound for South Ossetia is still on the administrative border between the Leningorsky and Tskhinvali districts. It is not being allowed into the Tskhinvali district.