Russia escalated its conflict with Georgia today, launching further airstrikes and a naval blockade, despite the withdrawal of Georgian forces from the breakaway province of South Ossetia. As the international community called on Moscow to halt its offensive, a damaging new front opened in the province of Abkhazia, where 4,000 Russian troops were reinforcing rebels committed to breaking away from Tiblisi’s rule. President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia accused Russia of trying to overthrow his government, but Moscow vowed to continue the fight, saying that Georgian officials could face charges of war crimes for attacking the South Ossetian capital on Thursday. Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, hinted today that South Ossetia could be subsumed into Russia, and laid responsibility for the fighting at Nato’s door. More
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