CJReport

Georgia, a former Soviet state, sent troops into South Ossetia on Thursday, aiming to crack down on the separatists, who want independence or unification with North Ossetia, which is in Russia. Russia responded Friday, sending troops into the Georgian province where it had peacekeepers stationed.

Russian tanks rumbled into the breakaway Georgian republic of South Ossetia on Friday, and volunteer Russian fighters reportedly made their way over the border, pushing Moscow closer to a full-blown war against U.S.-backed Georgia.

Georgia says it is in control of the regional capital, Tskhinvali, battling Russian forces on the outskirts.

Georgia's government has accused Moscow of bombing three Georgian military bases and the Black Sea city of Poti.

"Russian air forces have bombed towns in Georgia, the port of Poti on the Black Sea, the town of Senaki ... the Russian air assault ranges from the Black Sea coast in the west to the Azerbaijani border," Giorgi Badrize, acting Georgian ambassador to the UK, told Al Jazeera.

Permanent members of the UN Security Council, Britain, the US and France, are pinpointing what they say is Russia's aggression as the key factor in the slide towards war, while Moscow insists Georgia is to blame.

Georgia said 30 Georgians were killed in the violence and 70 were injured, while the Russian government said 1,300 people had died in South Ossetia due to Georgian military actions.

The fighting broke out as much of the world's attention was focused on the start of the Olympic Games and many leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Bush, were in Beijing.

The timing suggested Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili may have been counting on surprise to fulfill his longtime pledge to wrest back control of South Ossetia — a key to his hold on power. The rebels seek to unite with North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.