Russia denies shooting down Georgian UAV. Got caught on candid camera.

[Zenith]

Cool footage at the link. sure makes a change from the grainy black and white stuff you usually see.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7358761.stm

A Russian fighter jet has shot down an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, Georgian authorities say. Georgia's defence ministry has released video showing what appears to be a Russian MiG-29 shooting down the unarmed Georgian drone on Sunday. A Russian air force spokesman said the claim was "nonsense" while Abkhaz rebels said they had downed the drone. Russia's leader asked why a drone had been present in a "conflict zone". Georgia was exercising [its] sovereign right to monitor a situation on its own territory Mikhail Saakashvili Georgian president President Vladimir Putin expressed his concern in a phone call to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, the Kremlin reported. Mr Saakashvili himself went on Georgian TV to say he had "categorically demanded [of Mr Putin]... that these aggressive attacks on Georgia be stopped immediately". Tensions are high between the two neighbours over Russian support for Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia, and over Georgian moves towards joining Nato. Russian and UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the two regions since the early 1990s, when violence erupted as they broke free from Georgian control. 'Absolutely illegal' The video, shot from the drone moments before impact, shows a jet launching a missile over what appears to be the Black Sea. "It's absolutely illegal for a Russian MiG-29 to be there," said Col David Nairashvili, the air force commander. "Russian military aircraft intruded into Georgian airspace above Abkhazia, Georgia," said President Saakashvili on television. "This aircraft attacked and destroyed a Georgian UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle]. Once again, Georgia was exercising [its] sovereign right to monitor a situation on its own territory." Abkhazia's separatist administration has said its own forces shot down the drone because it was violating Abkhaz airspace and breaching ceasefire agreements. According to Russian reports from Sukhumi, the Abkhaz capital, the authorities there have put on display fragments of the drone. Garry Kupalba, deputy defence minister of the unrecognised Republic of Abkhazia, told reporters the drone had been shot down by an "L-39 aircraft of the Abkhaz Air Force". He also identified the drone as an Israeli-made Hermes 450. 'Destabilising' President Putin viewed the presence of the drone as a "destabilising factor escalating tension", the Kremlin said. "During an examination of the incident with the Georgian unmanned plane, Vladimir Putin expressed his perplexity over the fact that the Georgian side is organising military flights over a conflict zone," it added. A Russian air force spokesman said: "What would a Russian jet fighter be doing over Georgian territory?" Last week, Georgia accused Russia of trying to annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia by deciding to seek closer ties with them. Russia has said its proposal is aimed at protecting the rights and legal interests of Russian citizens, who make up the majority of the population in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Earlier this month, Nato decided not to grant Georgia's request to join its Membership Action Plan but promised it would eventually become a member of the alliance.

Jet enthusiasts should be able to easily pick the plane out as a Mig. The Abkhaz claim would be pretty damning if it weren't for the plane they claimed they used.

This is an L-39 the Abkhaz claimed shot it down:



Clearly not the plane in the footage.

This is a Mig-29



Worst bit politically is that the plane took off in Abkhaz territory but landed back in Russia. Putin fighting another war by proxy.

[Okin]

That footage was really interesting to watch. Now I know what a missile flying at you looks like.

[radioheadrule83]

Maybe the Russians think if they cause enough uncertainty or instability in Georgia, it will hamper its attempts to join NATO. Russia is the same as ever, it distrusts the West and doesn't want NATO on its doorstep.

[slider]

Yeah, it's a bit of a shocker but as far as Georgia's concerned I think they should present the facts as they are (radar plotting data and so on).

The last alleged "mischief" (i.e. the missile that landed North East of Tbilisi) went largely unnoticed.

[Manager]

A little bit higher resolution video:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/nyh...icle2308912.ab

[cacti]

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...zIItduNFK4hwWg

I get this.... Adding to bookmarks
+1

[Phoenix]

Its was always fairly clear that the Russians did this, but to actually have footage to show it off is always funny.

[Gamecocks625]

nm

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...zIItduNFK4hwWg I get this.... Adding to bookmarks +1

Yeah, same here. What's up with Russian and Ukraine ladies being advertised on GAF?

[CabbageRed]

I know very little about military hardware. Why was the Mig so close to the UAV? Aren't air-to-air strikes usually executed well before either craft is within visual range?

[Agent Ironside]

Well what the....thats what you do to spy planes, you shoot them down AMIRITE

[Phoenix]

I know very little about military hardware. Why was the Mig so close to the UAV? Aren't air-to-air strikes usually executed well before either craft is within visual range?

Visual identification, observing behavior, then received order to destroy. That would be my assumption.

[NintendosBooger]

Russia is the same as ever, it distrusts the West and doesn't want NATO on its doorstep.

And exactly why would they want an organization that was created to go against them on their doorstep?

[Phoenix]

And exactly why would they want an organization that was created to go against them on their doorstep?

Makes Magic the Gathering contests very easy.

[Kabouter]

Maybe the Russians think if they cause enough uncertainty or instability in Georgia, it will hamper its attempts to join NATO. Russia is the same as ever, it distrusts the West and doesn't want NATO on its doorstep.

They can distrust the West and mess around in Georgia all they want, it's gonna happen.

[Phoenix]

They can distrust the West and mess around in Georgia all they want, it's gonna happen.

And really at the end of the day, the West and Russia aren't that different any more. Our confrontational nature is not all that necessary - and actually after the fact when all the evidence was reviewed, it never was.

[JayDubya]

Well what the....thats what you do to spy planes, you shoot them down AMIRITE

"Spy plane" is a bit of a misnomer in this instance.

If they're in your airspace? Yeah. If not? No.

[xbhaskarx]

And exactly why would they want an organization that was created to go against them on their doorstep?

NATO was created to oppose the USSR, which then created the Warsaw Pact to counter NATO. Both the USSR and the Warsaw Pact were disestablished in 1991, or 17 years ago.

The problem is Putin and an increasingly authoritarian Russia, not Georgia exercising its rights as a sovreign nation. No one is forcing Georgia or any other country to join NATO, they are doing so out of their own free will, and part of the reason is because Russia is returning to the ways of the Soviet Union.
You have the causation exactly wrong: Georgia seeks protection from a powerful neighborhood bully that could easily swallow it up, as it has before.

[The_Inquisitor]

Oh man, someone and their entire family just got executed in Russia...

[cacti]

Did they say something bad about Putin?

[SatelliteOfLove]

NATO was created to oppose the USSR, which then created the Warsaw Pact to counter NATO. Both the USSR and the Warsaw Pact were disestablished in 1991, or 17 years ago. The problem is Putin and an increasingly authoritarian Russia, not Georgia exercising its rights as a sovreign nation. No one is forcing Georgia or any other country to join NATO, they are doing so out of their own free will, and part of the reason is because Russia is returning to the ways of the Soviet Union. You have the causation exactly wrong: Georgia seeks protection from a powerful neighborhood bully that could easily swallow it up, as it has before.

It's one of those wierd russian quirks; they want miles and miles of Other People between them and potential enemies for scorched earth.

[Zenith]

Update:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7420130.stm

A Russian jet did shoot down an unmanned Georgian drone over the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia last month, UN monitors say. The jet flew back into Russian airspace after the attack, a UN report says.

Proof that the Russians are fighting a proxy war Georgia. I still don't understand why all the newspapers are being so candid over the incident. Anyone who watched the vid could tell it was a Mig.

[polyh3dron]

Wouldn't Georgia have had to get 3 consecutive kills before getting their UAV online in the first place?

[industrian]

Wouldn't Georgia have had to get 3 consecutive kills before getting their UAV online in the first place?

Russia must have got two more then.

[polyh3dron]

Russia must have got two more then.

Touche.

[hteng]

our UAV is online!

[Tom_Cody]

Wow, this is really interesting.

[Freedom = $1.05]

Enemy UAV is airborne!

[Zenith]

what game are you all referencing?

[industrian]

what game are you all referencing?

Call of Duty 4.

And the references were funny the first time, then it just ran itself into the ground.

Proof that the Russians are fighting a proxy war Georgia. I still don't understand why all the newspapers are being so candid over the incident. Anyone who watched the vid could tell it was a Mig.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the (unrecognised) governments of Abkhazia and South Ossetia want to join the Russian Federation?

[dolemite]

CoD4