Russia deploys air defence missiles in Abkhazia: general

Russia deploys air defence missiles in Abkhazia: general

Russia announced Wednesday it had deployed a missile battery in Georgia's pro-Moscow rebel region of Abkhazia, infuriating its arch foes in Tbilisi some two years after they fought a brief war. "We have deployed the S-300 system on the territory of Abkhazia," air force commander-in-chief General Alexander Zelin said in a statement. "Its role will be anti-aircraft defence of the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in cooperation with the air defence systems of the army." Georgia insists that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are an integral part of its territory but Russia in 2008 recognised the two regions as independent after its war with Tbilisi. "The task of these air defence systems is not only to cover the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia but to avert violations of state borders in the air," Zelin said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. They were also aimed at the "destruction of any flying object penetrating into the covered territories, whatever aim they were flying with," he added. Tbilisi warned that Russia's deployment was of concern not only to Georgia but should also worry NATO. Georgia's ambition to join NATO has long flustered Russia. "This should be of concern not only for Georgia but also for other regional actors, including NATO," Deputy Prime Minister and Reintegration Minister Temur Yakobashvili told AFP. He said the move by Moscow could be linked to its anger over US plans to install missile defence facilities in former Communist bloc East European countries who have become members of NATO. "This is changing the balance of power in the region," he said. "It is also a kind of asymmetric answer to the American missile defence deployment in Eastern Europe.... The Russian government is saying 'if you can do it, we can do it'." In September 2009 US President Barack Obama scrapped a project to install an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Washington has since reworked the scheme and signed a new treaty with Moscow on reducing strategic nuclear weapons, which has yet to be ratified. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged theSenate to move quickly to pass the treaty when it resumes debate next month "because our national security is at risk." Abkhazia is less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) across the Black Sea from NATO member Turkey. Russia at the weekend marked the second anniversary of the outbreak of the war with Georgia, with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev making a surprise visit to Abkhazia Sunday, his first trip since the conflict. In an embarrassment for Moscow, only Venezuela, Nicaragua and the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru have followed its move to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. First manufactured by the Soviet Union in 1978, the S-300 is a surface-to-air missile system capable of tracking and destroying ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft at a range of up to 100-200 kilometres (62-124 miles). Nicknamed "the favorite" by Russians, the missile is still seen as one of the most powerful anti-aircraft weapons on the market. It can simultaneously track up to 100 targets and engage 12. Russia signed a contract to sell the systems to Iran several years ago, but has failed to deliver the weapons amid pressure from the West which fears they would be used against any aerial attack on the Islamic republic. The 2008 war saw Russian forces pour into Georgia after fighting broke out over South Ossetia, prompting the worst post-Cold War crisis between Russia and the West. An EU-brokered ceasefire has held, despite tensions.