In an interview with RIA Novosti, Mr. Kokoity said that on Thursday night Georgia had shelled residential districts in the capital of the republic, Tskhinvali.
"This is connected with the repeated requests addressed to Mikhail Saakashvili from the Georgian population in the village to withdraw illegal armed units from South Ossetia," he said. "In order to remain in these villages, the Georgian command decided to open fire on Tskhinvali to provoke a response and thus justify their presence there."
He said that when the shelling began South Ossetia did not return fire. "Then we were forced to give the command to neutralize the weapon emplacements for defense," Mr. Kokoity said.
In the opinion of the South Ossetian leader, a mechanism that could prevent further escalation of tensions does exist.
"The Georgian political leadership's program to seize South Ossetia has fully collapsed," Mr. Kokoity said. He noted that even some Georgian servicemen in South Ossetia had deserted because of disagreements with the actions of their commanders.
In response to a question about the results of his trip to Moscow, Mr. Kokoity said that he was satisfied with the negotiations. "I am grateful to Russia for its understanding of South Ossetia's problems and its clear position," he underscored.
Mr. Kokoity said that he was also satisfied with his negotiations with Russian businessmen interested in investing in South Ossetia. "Our joint projects are already being put into practice," he said.
