TBILISI, GEORGIA - Russia pressed its invasion of Georgia by land, sea and air for a third day Sunday, striking far beyond contested South Ossetia as the Kremlin brushed aside a cease-fire offer and disputed Georgia's claim to have pulled its forces out of the rebel enclave.
Russian jets bombed near Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, including civilian housing, military bases, factories and the international airport, according to Georgia officials. Russian warships also deployed off the Black Sea coast, sinking a Georgian missile boat that approached them, state-run Russian news media said.
Russian troops and tanks, meanwhile, took control of Tskhinvali, the devastated capital of South Ossetia, according to Russian state-run media, and there were reports that an armored column tried to push out of the separatist enclave's boundary toward the city of Gori, in Georgia, before being turned back by Georgian forces.
The military campaign also expanded, with Russian troops entering Abkhazia, another separatist Georgian province.
President Bush, speaking early today in Beijing, sharply criticized Moscow's military moves, saying the violence is unacceptable.
In an interview with NBC, Bush said, "I've expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn the bombing outside of South Ossetia."
