SOUTH OSSETIA, Georgia - August 11,
2008 - Russian troops today invaded Georgia as the war in the stricken region
continued to escalate.
Around 9,000 soldiers and 350 tanks had been massing at a base in the border region of Abkhazia throughout the day.
But the huge force has now moved into Georgia proper, demolishing hopes of a rapid solution to an increasingly bitter conflict.
The invasion comes as Gordon Brown urges Russia to call a ceasefire.
The Prime Minister warned Russia there was 'no justification' for its military action in Georgia.
Mr. Brown issued a strongly worded statement after Georgia backed an EU peace plan for the breakaway province of South Ossetia amid continued fighting.
"There is no justification for continued Russian military action in Georgia, which threatens the stability of the entire region and risks a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. "There is an immediate and pressing need to end the fighting and disengage all military forces in South Ossetia. The Georgian government has offered a ceasefire, which I urge the Russians to reciprocate without delay."
Meanwhile, intense shelling continued in the breakaway region of South Ossetia where hostilities broke out last Friday.
There were also conflicting reports that Russian troops had overrun the city of Gori while Georgian forces were concentrating on holding Mtskheta, 15 miles from the capital.
Earlier in the day, Russian premier Vladimir Putin raised the stakes over the conflict by lashing out at the U.S. as the fighting continued to escalate in the region.
The Russian prime minister rejected calls from Georgia for a ceasefire and declared that his country would pursue its mission to its "logical conclusion".
A day after a face-to-face meeting with President George W. Bush in Beijing who expressed "grave concern", Mr Putin accused the U.S. of siding with Georgia by ferrying Georgian troops from Iraq to the battle zone.
"It is a shame that some of our partners are not helping us but, essentially, are hindering us," said Mr. Putin. "The very scale of this cynicism is astonishing."
Russian Defense ministry spokeswoman Nana Intskerveli confirmed tanks had seized a Georgian military base in the western town of Senaki.
The statement indicated Russian troops had entered the region from a second rebel province of Abkhazia, where troops have been massing since the weekend.
There are concerns a new front away from South Ossetia could open up around Abkhazi, which would represent a major escalation in the conflict.
Thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and Hurricane multiple rocket launchers were seen pouring along roads to the south of Russia.
Russian warplanes also launched new attacks inside Georgia today, one on the outskirts of the capital and another on the Black Sea port of Poti.
Officials in the breakaway region today claimed Georgian troops had also resumed shelling there after its calls for a ceasefire were ignored by Russia.
The real reason why the U.S. and Israel provoked a war with Russia, by attacking Russian peacekeepers in south Ossetia, is to tie up the Russian Army long enough for an invasion of Iran. Remember the two extra U.S. carrier groups to arrive in the Persian Gulf within a week? However, Russia may put a quick end to the war and be ready to supply Iran form the ground.