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Russian Handiwork” Impact on Imereti and Damage to Kopitnari Airport

September 9, 2008

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Since war Imereti region has not been damaged. Although the Kopitnari airport was bombed it is already being rehabilitated. The airport will start functioning by end of this month.

“On August 9 in the early morning I was woken up by a terrible sound of an explosion. I thought that my house must have been blown up or something, as I was taken by surprise and was unable to realize what had happened. Several minutes later there was another loud blast and the bomb must have been very close. It was as if it in my yard. Meanwhile, neighbors also gathered and we all soon found out that the Kopitnari airport was being bombed,” recalls Akaki Nikabadze the first attack on the village of Partskhanakanebi in Imereti region.

On August 9 Russian aviation first attacked Kopitnari airport and Khoni military base. In parallel, the Senaki military base and Poti Port were also bombed. Local and foreign experts are still determining the extent of the actual damage to Georgian economy that resulted from Russian bombs. According to initial data, however, the recent war resulted in less damage to the Imereti region than compared to other Georgian regions.

“I cannot say the damage in exact figures but I can say that Russian aircrafts dropped nearly 60 bombs on the Kopitnari airport alone. Now de-mining works are being carried out at the airport, and only several mines and unexploded bombs are left to be defused. Approximately12 bombs landed directly on the runway and it was seriously damaged in two different places. Other bombs exploded in the bare land and no damage resulted,” said Mikheil Chogovadze, Imereti Region Governor.

Chogovadze stated that Kopitnari Airport would be ready at the end of September and will be planes will be able to land and takeoff. As for the damage, it has not been all that much. 

“Buildings were not seriously damaged in Imereti. Neither did in Sachkhere. The real problem is that Russian soldiers are deployed in Perevi and have established checkpoints,” said the governor. However, since Russian peacekeepers are still staying in the village of Perevi Sachkhere district residents are worried as a result of the Russian occupation.

“They do not do any harm; though we cannot feel calm. How can we be calm when heavily armed Russians are staying nearby? They have seriously reinforced their checkpoint and it is fact they do not hurry to go. Initially, they were in the field but now they have made checkpoints… Today, we feel like guests in our own region. We are sleeping in clothes if there is something urgent we should run immediately,” said a resident of Sachkhere.

“Russians are deployed at the entrance of one village of Perevi and they do not let us to transport easily. However, I want to say that administration does not stop to contact local people. Based on recent agreement and with the effort of UNHCR we will assist families in the area,” said Chogovadze.

As for the mostly damaged city of Gori during the war, regional governor stated that their plans about the assistance to this city from their region will be announced in near future.

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