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UN Observer Mission in Georgia investigation into reports of rocket attack in upper Kodori valley

Countries
Georgia
Sources
UNOMIG
Publication date

PR/2006/77

Tbilisi, 1 November, 2006 - Following reports that on 25 October 2006 three GRAD rockets had been launched from Tkvarcheli district into the upper Kodori valley, in the vicinity of Azhara village, UNOMIG undertook an independent investigation on 26 October in accordance with its mandate. One investigation team traveled to the Tkvarcheli district. Another one met in Azhara with Georgian officials, who conveyed the findings of their investigation. The UNOMIG team in the Kodori valley examined two of the three impact sites. The team met again with representatives of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on 31 October in Tbilisi. Taking into account these inputs, following are the preliminary results of the Mission's investigation:

1. The findings at the second impact site are consistent with the information that the rockets were of the GRAD (BM-21) type. The country of origin of the rockets could not be determined. There were no explosions at the two impact sites investigated. The Georgian officials informed UNOMIG that there was no explosion at the third impact site either. The investigation team determined that the rockets were launched from a location south of the impact sites.

2. The team examined first the option of possible launch of the rockets from mobile BM-21 launchers (vehicle mounted) from a position near Tkvarcheli, some 30 km away. The team took note that depending on the type of its make, GRAD rockets have a range of 21 km or 36 km. In the normal mode of launching, the flight of the GRAD rocket includes two phases: In the first phase lasting 16 to 22 seconds, the rocket is propelled by its engine and covers approximately 1/3 of the total flight distance of the rocket. In the second phase, after the engine stops, the rocket reaches the peak of its trajectory and then travels in free fall towards its target.

3. In the case of the rockets found at Azhara, there is ample evidence that this full cycle was not completed:

a) The two impact zones and surrounding areas show signs of burning consistent with the rocket engines' exhaust flames, indicating that the engines continued to work after the impact;

b) Pictures taken by a Georgian official after the three rockets impacted showed smoke at the point of impact, even though the rockets did not explode; this smoke can only be from burning jet-fuel, confirming the rockets' engines were still working at the time of impact;

c) Officials in the Azhara village heard a sound similar to that of a jet engine as the rockets flew overhead, indicating again that the rockets' engines were operational when the rockets hit the ground;

d) A number of tracers, which were fitted on the rocket and should have burnt at 6-second intervals during a normal flight, were found intact at the site of one of the rockets, confirming that the flight cycle was not completed.

4. Since the engines of the rockets found around Azhara were still working at the time of impact, their flight time was shorter and the distance covered from their launch site could only have been a fraction of their normal range. Therefore, the rockets could not have been launched from the Tkvarcheli district. They must have been launched from a location significantly closer to Azhara. This is in line with the findings of the UNOMIG team that traveled to Tkvarcheli on 26 October, where the local population did not report anything consistent with the operation of a BM-21 rocket launcher.

5. In addition, the investigation team in Azhara considered the features of the local terrain: In the southerly direction, from which the rockets were launched, the southern ridge of the Kodori valley opposite Azhara village rises to 1200-1400 meters. Given the normal trajectory of a GRAD rocket during the propelled phase, the investigation team concluded that the most likely scenario congruent with the topographical and ballistic data is that the rockets were fired with the help of an improvised launcher from a location along that southern ridge.

UNOMIG expresses its gratitude to the Georgian government and the de facto Abkhaz authorities for their cooperation. The Mission thanks in particular Georgian officials in Azhara who have been open and forthcoming in their support to the investigation.

For more information, please contact:

UNOMIG Public Information Office
Tel: +995 32 507 200
Fax: +995 32 507 207
E-mail: unomig-pio@un.org
Web site: www.unomig.org