Georgians surround Tskhinvali

Грузины окружают Цхинвали

The capital of South Ossetia is being bombarded from all directions, according to the republic's information committee's site. "The fire, coming from of all types of large-caliber artillery, is intensifying. The bombardment is coming from all directions," reports the site.

Meanwhile, the Georgian artillery is concentrating its fire on government and residential buildings in the center of Tskhinvali, reports an IA Regnum correspondent at the scene of events. According to him, dozens of shells are falling every minute. Information on the number of victims and the scale of destruction are not yet available, as people cannot leave their shelters. Georgia has confirmed its intention to resolve the Georgian-Ossetian conflict by the use of force. In particular, commanding officer of the Georgian peacekeeping forces Mamuka Kurashvili stated that the Georgians had "begun an operation to restore constitutional order in the Tskhinvali region." Currently, the Georgian armed forces are continuing their large-scale bombardment with howtizers, mortars, BM-21 "Grad" rocket artillery systems, and large-caliber artillery.

IA Regnum