The Interior Ministry of the nation of Georgia said Sunday that a surface-to-air missile was fired at a helicopter last week, as it escorted an American delegation led by Senator McCain, a Republican of Arizona. The aircraft was not damaged. A spokeswoman for the Department of State, Joanne Moore, said she had no information about the incident.

In a similar attack, Georgia's defense minister said a helicopter in which he was riding also came under fire Sunday as it flew over South Ossetia, but it landed safely, and nobody was hurt.