Russia says not seeking war with Georgia

Russia is not seeking an all-out war with Georgia over the separatist region of South Ossetia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, blaming Georgia for triggering the violence.

"The situation continues to deteriorate. ... Civilians continue to die," he told a conference call with foreign journalists. He said the death toll stood at around 1,500 people and continued to rise.

Mr Lavrov added that countries supplying Georgia with military hardware were partly to blame for the violence. Asked whether Russia sought an all-out war with Georgia, he said "no."