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Aggressor paralyzing Georgian transport

By M. Alkhazashvili
Monday, August 18
Russia is destroying the Georgian transport infrastructure.

One of the first steps Russia took when its occupation began was to take over Georgia’s main highway, which connects Eastern Georgia to the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi. This is the road through Gori, which has been blocked with tanks. Looting has taken place in the town ever since the Russians entered it. There have been several reports of Ossetian or other North Caucasus bandits, assisted by Russian forces, stopping cars and trucks and stealing them from their owners and drivers.

This blockade left the railways as the only more or less safe means of transport around Georgia, and more and more people started using trains. But the Russians have decided to destroy the railways too. On the morning of August 16 a railway bridge was blown up near Kaspi, about 15 kilometres from the conflict zone. The detonation took place after Russian President Medvedev had signed the ceasefire agreement. Georgian Railway Department officials state that it will take around ten days to reconstruct the bridge, at a cost of approximately USD 1 Million.