Georgia Says Stopped Drone Flights Over Abkhazia

A Georgian drone was shot down over Abkhazia on April 20. U.N. report said a Russian jet had downed it but Moscow has denied involvement.

Georgia said on Friday it had stopped flights by unpiloted spy planes over breakaway Abkhazia but reserved its right to resume them if it saw a threat from the Russian-backed region.

A Georgian drone was shot down over Abkhazia on April 20. On Monday, a U.N. report said a Russian jet had downed it but Moscow has denied involvement. The report also said the Georgian reconnaissance flight violated a cease-fire agreement.

Georgian U.N. Ambassador Irakli Alasania said after addressing a Security Council meeting on the crisis: "I openly said that since the report was issued, (the) Georgian side stopped overflights ... It doesn't mean that we will not use these military capabilities if the threat will occur in the region."

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he was "quite encouraged" by the Georgian halt to overflights although he regretted the warning of a possible resumption -- something he said Alasania had not said at the council meeting.

Churkin said that in the meeting he called on Georgia "to stop its policy of provocation," reduce its military presence on the border with Abkhazia and sign an agreement with the rebel region on non-use of force.

The Russian envoy referred back to Moscow statements denying Russian involvement in shooting down the drone, but did not himself specifically deny it. Instead, he called for a "thorough investigation" of the incident.

The council adjourned its closed meeting without taking action. It is to hold another debate on Abkhazia in July.