Russian officials say they have evidence that an unnamed resident of Texas was helping Georgian special forces during recent combat between the two nations.

In an interview with CNN, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to provide a talking point in the American presidential campaign.

"The fact is that U.S. citizens were indeed in the area of conflict during the hostilities," Putin told CNN.

Russian defense officials said a U.S passport was found beloging to a Texas resident in an area known to be the operating base of Georgian special forces.

"It should be admitted that they would do so only following direct orders from their supervisors," Putin said. "Therefore, they were acting in implementing those orders, doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their supervisors."

White House press secretary Dana Perino called the Russian claims "patently false."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.