“Radical anti-Russian sentiment in the country is being artificially fuelled and is part of a new campaign against Georgia,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said at a briefing. He said attempts to intensify Russophobia in Georgia were part of a plan carried out by agents of the “deep state”. Kobakhidze said the sanctions had targeted senior Georgian government officials, ruling party honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, judges, senior police officers and others. BackgroundSeveral days before the anniversary of the August 2008 war, Irakli Kobakhidze published a lengthy letter addressing the issue of “Russophobia”. This time, however, the debate focused not only on the circumstances that led to the war and Russia’s responsibility.