Official: 2 spy planes downed over breakaway Georgia region

SUKHUMI, Georgia (AP) - Forces from Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia shot down two unmanned Georgian spy planes over the territory on Sunday, an Abkhazian official said.

Georgia denied the claim and traded accusations with Russia, which is struggling with the West for influence in the country strategically located on the Caspian Sea. Each says the incident indicates the other is preparing for war over the breakaway region.

Strained relations between Georgia and Russia, which has close ties with Abkhazia, have worsened since Georgia accused Moscow of shooting down a pilotless Georgian reconnaissance plane over the breakaway region two weeks ago.

Russia denied involvement and separatist Abkhazian officials said their forces shot it down.

On Sunday, Ruslan Kishmaria, a representative of Abkhazia's president, said two planes had been shot down by Abkhazian anti-aircraft forces on Sunday. Authorities were searching for fragments of the planes, he said.

Georgian Foreign Ministry official Maka Gigauri dismissed the claims as "completely absurd disinformation." The ministry later released a statement saying that pilotless, unarmed Georgian planes "will continue to fly in the sovereign airspace of Georgia to gather full information about the military intervention by the Russian Federation."

Abkhazia and another Georgian separatist region, South Ossetia, seek either independence from Georgia or absorption into Russia. They have had de-facto independence since breaking away from central government control in early 1990s wars.

The alleged plane downings led to redoubled Russian accusations that Georgia is gearing up for a military offensive aimed to take control of Abkhazia.

"By resorting to escapades with pilotless spy planes and speeding up military preparations ... the Tbilisi authorities have taken the path of deliberately inflaming tension in the region," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

But Georgia asserted it is Russia that is on the offensive. The Foreign Ministry called Sunday's claims "a Russian provocation aimed at providing propaganda support for Russian military intervention."

Russia is strengthening its support of the two breakaway regions as Georgia's U.S.-allied President Mikhail Saakashvili pushes for NATO membership for his country.

Russia has bristled at NATO's eastward expansion and top officials have said they will do their best to keep Georgia and another Western-leaning ex-Soviet republic, Ukraine, out of the alliance.

Saakashvili has said he has no intention of using force against Abkhazia, but has vowed to establish control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia while offering them a measure of autonomy. Russian officials have suggested that if Georgia joins NATO it will have to give up its claim to the regions.

Russia has not recognized the two breakaway regions' independence claims, which would badly damage ties with the West and could lead to war with Georgia.

But Moscow has granted the majority of Abkhazia and South Ossetia's residents Russian passports, warning Georgia that it will defend its citizens if they are attacked. Last month it established legal ties with Abkhazia - moves Georgia has assailed as steps toward annexation of the region.

Russia also has increased the size of its contingent of peacekeeping forces in the Black Sea province. Georgia accuses the troops of siding with the separatists and wants them replaced with international forces.

Associated Press Writer Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili contributed to this report from Tbilisi, Georgia.