08 August 2008, 21:48
Saakashvili: Georgian troops keep whole South Ossetia under control
As of 9:00 p.m., the governmental troops of Georgia had complete control over the territory of South Ossetia and all the settlements, except for the high-mountainous Dzhava village, as President Mikhail Saakashvili announced tonight in his TV address to the nation.
According to Georgian President, as a result of combat collisions in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone about 30 persons perished on August 8, mainly members of Georgian Armed Forces, the "News-Georgia" Agency reports.
Meanwhile, the Russian "Channel One" reports that Georgian army units have left Tskhinvali, and after 2 p.m. Russian soldiers managed to take the heights dominating the city under their control. Then, the bombardment went on from the air.
However, by the evening, with the approach of the 58th Army, the peacekeepers managed to take the air space over the city under control. The Georgian troops receded to their initial positions in the city of Gori, from where they started their attack today at night.
A spokesman from the Command of the Mixed Peacekeeping Forces has informed the RIA "Novosti" that the Russian peacekeepers are at fierce fight with Georgian regular military units in the southern suburb of Tskhinvali.
