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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Georgia fires at 'Russian plane' | Georgia fires at 'Russian plane' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Georgian forces have fired at an aircraft they believed to be Russian after it violated Georgian airspace, a senior government official said. | Georgian forces have fired at an aircraft they believed to be Russian after it violated Georgian airspace, a senior government official said. |
| Tbilisi could not confirm whether the plane was shot down, but said that a nearby section of forest, in Abkhazia's Kodori Gorge, was on fire. | Tbilisi could not confirm whether the plane was shot down, but said that a nearby section of forest, in Abkhazia's Kodori Gorge, was on fire. |
| Russia dismissed the claim, and an air force spokesman called it "the latest provocation aimed against us". | Russia dismissed the claim, and an air force spokesman called it "the latest provocation aimed against us". |
| The two ex-USSR states' relations have been strained since a 2006 spy row. | The two ex-USSR states' relations have been strained since a 2006 spy row. |
| Earlier this month, Georgia said that two Russian planes had violated its border around the same area. | |
| In a separate incident, Georgia also claimed a Russian plane had dropped a missile near the capital, Tblisi. | |
| Russia strongly denied the accusations. | |
| Remote site | Remote site |
| Georgian officials said Wednesday's incident was not reported earlier because they were still checking information. | Georgian officials said Wednesday's incident was not reported earlier because they were still checking information. |
| The Russia defence ministry said Russian planes had not flown near the area on that day. | The Russia defence ministry said Russian planes had not flown near the area on that day. |
| Georgian officials said the site where the plane may have crashed was in the Georgian-controlled territory of Upper Abkhazia, but that it was remote and difficult to reach. | Georgian officials said the site where the plane may have crashed was in the Georgian-controlled territory of Upper Abkhazia, but that it was remote and difficult to reach. |
| Upper Abkhazia is the Georgian authorities' term for the strategic Kodori gorge, which is the only part of the breakaway republic of Abkhazia over which Georgia retains partial control. | Upper Abkhazia is the Georgian authorities' term for the strategic Kodori gorge, which is the only part of the breakaway republic of Abkhazia over which Georgia retains partial control. |
| Under an agreement between the two, Georgian defence forces and heavy weaponry cannot be deployed in the area. However, Georgian interior ministry forces can operate there. |