BRIEF: Refugees Flee as Russian Assualt in South Ossetia Continues

by Sarah Benczik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ARDON RIVER VALLEY, Russia - Thousands of refugees have begun to pour out of South Ossetia as the day-old outbreak of violence continues to escalate.  Former Russian President Vladimir Putin reported that thus far 34,000 refugees have been registered in North Ossetia.

Today Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili characterized the conflict as a "full-scale war," and further stated the region was "all going to hell."  He also offered a cease-fire immediately if Russia would stop its attack.  The violence erupted on Thursday when Georgian forces entered South Ossetia, which is territorially part of Georgia, but an unstable break-away region with close ties to Russia.

Russia characterizes its actions as an appropriate response to "Georgia's assult" on its citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia.  In addition to continuing its attacks, Russia has begun to move additional military support closer to Abkhazia, another highly unstable break-away area in the region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reported that thus far 1,500 Russian civilians and 15 peace-keepers have been killed in the violence. 

Edmond Mulet, Assistant UN Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, reported to the UN Security Council today that there had already been “very substantial numbers of casualties, refugees and destruction” in South Ossetia since fighting erupted there earlier this week," and the UN New Center reported that latest reports suggest that hundreds of people, mostly civilans, have been killed because of the clashes. 

Mulet further warned that the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) expects Abkhaz forces to launch a military operation in the Upper Kodori Valley as early as tomorrow morning.

For more information, please see:

BBC - Eyewitness: Scenes of panic in Gori - 9 Augusut 2008

Bloomberg - Russia Is Waging 'Full-Scale War' Over S. Ossetia - 9 August 2008

AP - South Ossetia: Russian armor in, refugees out - 9 August 2008

Reuters - South Ossetia refugee buses arrive in Russia - 8 August 2008

UN News Centre - Georgian conflict widening beyond South Ossetia, UN official warns - 9 August 2008