US "dismayed" over more Russian troops in Abkhazia

Jun 1, 2008, 3:05 GMT

Washington - The United States said late Saturday that it was 'dismayed' by Russia's announcement that it planned to send more military forces into the Georgian region of Abkhazia without the consent of the Georgian government.

In a statement, the US State Department said it was 'particularly difficult' to understand the move after Georgia's conciliatory declaration on Friday at the UN Security Council in New York 'that it was suspending' drone flights over Abkhazia.

'We have expressed our concerns to the Russian government and are in touch with the Georgian government about this latest announcement of a Russian military buildup,' the statement said.

The statement said the Russian military forces were to include 'railroad construction troops.'

The former Soviet republic already had been clashing with its powerful neighbour over the breakaway Georgian province Abkhazia, mostly inhabited by white Russians, and on the Russian-led peacekeeping mission in Abkhazia.

On Friday at the UN Security Council, Russia rejected Georgia's charges that one of its jet fighters shot down a drone over Georgian territory.

A UN report corroborated Georgia's claims based on radar shots and video footage from the downed drone.

Russia claims leaders of the autonomous rebel region have taken credit for shooting down the spy plane on April 20. Russia has charged that Georgia's reconnaissance flights over Abkhaz territory breach the UN ceasefire agreement that ended civil war in 1994.