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Russian drone 'hit over Georgia' | Russian drone 'hit over Georgia' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Georgia says it military has shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone that was flying over Georgian territory - a claim denied by Russia. | |
The unmanned plane was downed south of the de facto border with breakaway South Ossetia, the Georgian government said, though no evidence was provided. | |
Russia dismissed the claim as "another media provocation by Georgia". | |
Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia after a short war broke out over the territory last month. | Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia after a short war broke out over the territory last month. |
Russia has been withdrawing from Georgia proper under a ceasefire deal. | Russia has been withdrawing from Georgia proper under a ceasefire deal. |
European Union monitors have been deploying in Georgia, to verify the Russian withdrawal and oversee the ceasefire. They are due to start patrolling on 1 October. | |
Georgia accused separatists from Abkhazia, a second breakaway region also recognised by Moscow, of breaching the ceasefire and shooting dead a Georgian police officer on Sunday. | |
Drone claims | |
Reconnaissance flights played a role in escalating tensions between Georgia and Russia in the build-up to the war that broke out on 7 August. | |
In May Georgia released video pictures of what it said was a Russian jet shooting down a Georgian drone over Abkhazia. | |
Georgia said the jet had breached its territorial integrity - which was at that stage still recognised by Russia. | |
Russia denied its jet was involved, though UN monitors backed the Georgian claim. | |
Earlier in the month Abkhaz fighters said they had shot down two Georgian drones over Abkhazia - a claim denied by Georgia. | |
In July Russia admitted its jets had flown over South Ossetia. | |
The conflict in the region began when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes. | |
Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. |