Over Ossetia are dogfights

On Sunday, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces denied the allegations by the Georgian side of the bombing of Georgian villages and that over Georgia downed 12 Russian aircraft.

"No one locality strikes do not cause the Russian side", - said the deputy chief of the General Staff Anatoly Nogovitsyn, explaining that "there is a substitution of concepts", and strikes are not for Human Settlements, and the provision of location of Georgian troops.

He stressed that the aircraft is used in South Ossetia only military formations, "principally on urban arrays aviation does not apply." To carry out surgical strikes on Georgian troops, Russian aviation conducts aerial reconnaissance. In particular, this was a scout and knocked on the eve of the Russian Tu-22.

"To pinpoint strikes, we need to carry out exploration. That is why we were forced to use the plane. As we reported, he was shot down, "- said Nogovitsin.

At the same time, he denied reports about the Georgian side downed 12 Russian aircraft, "Interfax". "In fact, nothing to do with the reality of this figure has not. Our losses amounted to two aircraft and have not changed ", - said the deputy chief of the General Staff.

One of the crew was able to evacuate the aircraft shot down, and it is located in one of the Russian medical institutions. "On the second crew we still have no news - said Nogovitsin. - While we can not because there is fighting, to negotiate the possibility of transmission, provided that the rules of international law ».

Russia's Defense Ministry is difficult to give an exact figure of Russian casualties in South Ossetia. "The losses are taking place, but the numbers have changed little," - said the representative of the Defense Ministry, promising to provide summary data on losses in two days. Previously reported 12 dead Russian soldiers and 150 civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs Alexander Kvitashvili unveiled the information that for the last day the number of deaths has risen from the Georgian side, "If yesterday the number was 85 people, but now it is 92 people».

The representative of the Russian General Staff also commented on the relationship of forces to the beginning of an escalation of the conflict in South Ossetia. According to him, it was 12: 1 in favor of Georgia, which forced Russia to increase its group.

Nogovitsin noted that currently the Georgian army is well-trained and prepared. Her arms are, in particular, anti-aircraft missile systems "Tor". "We know that the Ukrainian side has previously ensured the supply of these types of equipment," - said the general.

All in all, the fighting in Tskhinvali region involved about 7, 4000 Georgian troops supported by hundreds of tanks and artillery pieces. "The city under fire, snipers are active, including the civilian population", - quotes RIA "Novosti" words Nogovitsyna.