 However, when Anatoly Nogovitsyn, colonel general in the Russian Ministry of Defense, was asked whether Russia was in a state of war, he replied that was not the case.Georgian health minister had said that Georgian casualties were more than 80, 40 of which were civilians killed in the bombing of Gori.Georgian officials had said the conflict would end if the United States intervened, however they were counting on the Western diplomatic outcry to impact Russia.