Can you provide a link please.
Because what I'm seeing from the Red Cross are complaints that they can't access South Ossetia.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=94517709-8236-4cb5-a8f2-0b251b50405b
I'm also seeing that Russia seems to have lowered its estimates: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572635.stm
I'm sure the 44 estimate is too low. But if the 1,600 number proves to be off by around a factor of ten that really does justify the term "dispoportionate" as a description of what Moscow did. Given U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan (just to mention the most recent U.S. invasions) we are in no position to criticize. But we don't have to excuse or be too ready to accept Russian numbers without questioning them either.