23 December 2008, 23:00
Russian ICPO: 162 residents of South Ossetia perished in August
According to the Investigatory committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation, during the August events in South Ossetia 162 residents of this republic perished, and over 5000 were recognized as victims. The "Interfax" reports that Chairman of the ICPO Alexander Bastrykin has told about it today.
The RIA "Novosti" adds that he has also reported about 48 Russian militaries lost this August and 157 ones wounded.
According to Mr Bastrykin, "the investigation of Georgia's attack on South Ossetia was extended till April 2009." As he said, the actions of the Georgian party can be qualified under four other Articles of the Criminal Code of Russia, in particular, "Forbidden warfare methods" and "Use of mercenaries".
"The aggregate force of the attacking Georgian troops made about 17,000 soldiers, including 2000 reservists," said the Chairman of the ICPO.
It has become known today that the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has criticized the actions of Georgia's government and Mikhail Saakashvili in the days that preceded the warfare in South Ossetia. In Ms Rice's opinion, they cannot be treated as "responsible".
Mikhail Hubutiya, leader of the Union of Georgians in Russia, had stated earlier that he was one of the intermediaries in negotiations of President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili with Russia on normalization of mutual relations.
Meanwhile, the conclusion of the ad hoc commission of Georgian parliament, in August the war in South Ossetia was launched by Russia, while Georgian leadership could not expect and was not ready to this scale of aggression undertaken by the Russian Federation.
