| The commander of Russian forces in the former Soviet republic of Georgia was injured in a bomb blast Tuesday night. Gen. Alexander Studenikin was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Georgian deputy prosecutor Kakha Koberidze said. Koberidze said the blast occurred as the general was walking to his home from the Russian troops' headquarters in the capital Tbilisi, on territory under Russian control. He said preliminary information indicated it was set off by remote. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Studenikin was injured in an explosion, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. a ministry spokesman could not be reached for comment late Tuesday. Russia maintains two bases and about 5,000 troops in Georgia as holdovers from the Soviet era when the Caucasus republic was a key element in the Kremlin's military strategy. It has about 150 tanks, 240 armored vehicles and 140 artillery pieces on the bases. |