Russia May Send More Troops to Abkhazia
By HELENA BEDWELL,
TBILISI, Georgia — Russia's Defense Ministry said it may expand its peacekeeping contingent in Abkhazia as authorities in the separatist region said they shot down an unmanned Georgian spy plane.
"Further troop increases by Georgia's military and law enforcement agencies in the conflict zone can only lead the Russian side to take necessary and appropriate action on raising its peacekeeping contingent to the maximum allowed number," the Russian ministry said on its Web site yesterday.
Russia has 2,542 peacekeepers in Abkhazia region and may increase its presence to the maximum of 3,000 allowed under a 1994 agreement, the ministry said. The peacekeepers are stationed in Abkhazia under a Commonwealth of Independent States mandate.
