TSKHINVALI/MOSCOW. Aug 25 (Interfax-AVN) - The situation in South Ossetia has been calm over the past several days, but the self-proclaimed republic's authorities do not rule out the possibility that Georgia will use force against Tskhinvali.
"This is the fifth day, counting from Saturday, that no shooting has been heard in Tskhinvali, and the general situation is quite calm," South Ossetian Information and Press Committee chairperson Irina Gagloyeva told Interfax.
She said, however, that "the Georgian side's aggression is currently in another phase: it has turned into psychological pressure."
"Georgia is probably counting on resolving the question by force. This is also indicated by the information policy that is carried out in the Georgian media and by the preparation work that Georgia is performing it its settlements on our border," Gagloyeva said.
She noted the "provocations that are taking place at Georgian checkpoints."
"Unmotivated detentions of Ossetians are occurring practically every day. Yesterday, for instance, two Ossetians were detained at a Georgian checkpoint. Their documents were seized and then they were beaten up. They were only released after peacekeepers arrived and their documents were only returned to them today," Gagloyeva said.