UNM started 2008 Russia war relying on ‘barrels’, ended it in defeat in two days, PM Kobakhidze

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said the former government started the 2008 war with Russia relying on "barrels" and ended it in defeat within two days, while accusing former official Gia Baramidze of attempting to justify materials depicting “people's private lives and torture” that were found stored in barrels.

Speaking at a briefing at the Government Administration on Monday, Kobakhidze was responding to a journalist's question about comments by Baramidze, who claimed that weapons had been stored in the barrels.

"They started the war relying on barrels, and that is why they ended it in defeat in two days in 2008," Kobakhidze said.

The prime minister said tens of thousands of files, compact discs and other materials had been stored in the barrels, depicting people's private lives, torture and various forms of abuse.

"When someone so shamelessly tries to justify all of this, there can be no justification or explanation for it," Kobakhidze added.