Georgia summons Russia's envoy over railroad troop protest
Georgia's Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's envoy Monday to hand over a protest note after Moscow deployed unarmed railroad troops to the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Media reported Saturday that a unit of Russian railroad troops was being sent to the region at the request of Abkhazia to help repair parts of the republic's rail infrastructure.
The Foreign Ministry says the deployment indicates Russia is preparing for military intervention.
Abkhazia and South Osse
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tia, another breakaway region in Georgia, have been a source of tension between Russia and Georgia. In April Russia's former president Vladimir Putin called for closer ties with the two self-proclaimed republics provoking fury from Tbilisi, which accused Moscow of trying to annex the regions.
Tensions have also been fueled by Georgia's unmanned reconnaissance flights over Abkhazia and its plans to join NATO and integrate into other Western structures pursued by Georgia, which is located on strategic routes for Caspian oil and gas.
A UN report last Monday confirmed a Georgian drone was shot down by a Russian aircraft over Abkhazia on April 20. Moscow, which denies the allegation, dismissed the report as based on unreliable evidence.
The UN also criticized Georgia for carrying out surveillance flights in breach of the terms of a ceasefire deal that ended the armed conflict in the early 1990s.
Abkhazia claims it has downed seven Georgian drones this year.
Georgia's Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's envoy Monday to hand over a protest note after Moscow deployed unarmed railroad troops to the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
