Russia denies violating Georgia’s airspace

    MOSCOW, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian planes have not violated Georgia's airspace, Russian ambassador Yuri Popov said Wednesday.

    "I can say Russian aircraft were not involved in the incident in Georgia's airspace ... Now it is unknown whose plane it was. But I'm 100-percent convinced that no Russian aircraft penetrated Georgia's territory," Popov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying by telephone.

    The Russian diplomat is currently in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali to investigate the incident on Monday.

    Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Ustiashvili said earlier on Tuesday that two Russian fighter jets on Monday evening "violated Georgian airspace and dropped a rocket near the Tsitelubani settlement" that did not explode and caused no casualties.

Debris, which Georgia says broke off a missile fired by a jet flown from Russia, lies on the ground near the village of Tsitelubani some 40 miles west of Tbilisi, August 7, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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    Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili called on European countries to condemn Russia for an alleged missile attack on its territory. Saakashvili visited the wreckage of the missile following claims it was launched from a Russian fighter jet.

    "It's not just a problem for Georgia. It's a threat to Georgian security, but also a major risk to European security," Saakashvili said.

    But Russia has denied attacking Georgia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said none of its fighter jets were in the area, adding that its peacekeepers in South Ossetia did see an unknown plane fire a missile but it came from inside Georgian territory.

    Russia has demanded an investigation into the reported violation of Georgian airspace by Russian fighters.