LONDON - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Saturday accused Russia of launching an invasion in an attempt to "annihilate" his country, in an interview with BBC World television.
Saakashvili said Moscow's aim in entering the conflict over the breakaway region of South Ossetia was to show that "nobody ever will defy Russian rule in this part of the world."
He also accused Russia of deliberately targeting Georgian civilians.
"This is a 100 percent unprovoked brutal Russian invasion and aggression into a sovereign country," he said.
"'This is a process of annihilation of Georgia', these were the exact words of a Russian official, what they are doing is not about conflict, it is about annihilation of a democracy on their borders, it is about controlling energy routes, it is about not only scaring Georgian people and terrorising us and basically brutalising us, but scaring all the people around," Saakashvili added.
He said that while Georgia's army had shot down Russian warplanes, the country did not have air defences to protect the civilian population and accused Russia of deliberately attempting to harm civilians.
"They are going for civilians because it is so easy," he said.
"It is much more easy to target the civilian population because they are not covered.
"But despite all this terror, our people are holding (up) very well."
Russia had launched its military action because the world's attention was distracted by the Beijing Olympics and many decision-makers were on holiday, he said.
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