Russia's Lavrov: South Ossetia "ethnic cleansing" reports

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow was receiving reports that villages in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia were being ethnically cleansed.

"We are receiving reports that a policy of ethnic cleansing was being conducted in villages in South Ossetia, the number of refugees is climbing, the panic is growing, people are trying to save their lives," he said during televised remarks in Moscow from Russia's Foreign Ministry.

(Writing by Conor Sweeney)