NATO exercises in Georgia near end

Controversial NATO exercises in ex-Soviet Georgia are nearing an end amid Russian objections to the drills that Moscow deems "provocative."

Field day maneuvers will conclude the 25-day NATO exercises in Georgia on Sunday. About 700 soldiers from 13 countries participated in the training exercises.

Russia, which was forced into a brief war with the republic last August, condemned the planned war games as unwise and provocative in a country fresh out war.

The Kremlin later announced that it would boost military training exercises near the Georgian border next month in response to the NATO war games.

The drills have been taking place close to South Ossetia, where Russian troops remain based following the war.

On the eve of the May 6 exercises, a rebellion of about 500 mutineers at a military base outside the capital Tbilisi ended without bloodshed.

Georgian officials described the rebellion as a 'Russian-backed' coup attempt and an assassination plot targeting President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The opposition dismissed the claims, saying it was a government trying to divert attention from domestic problems, including month-long protests demanding Saakashvili's resignation.

ZHD/MD