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2008 War in South Ossetia
Part of Ossetian-Georgian conflict
Location of South Ossetia within Georgia (upper left box shows map of Georgia). Striped area shows the territory controlled by Georgia prior to the conflict.
Date 1 August 2008 – present Location Georgia Status Conflict ongoing
Belligerents
South Ossetia Russia Russian peacekeeping troops 58th Army 4th Air Army Irregulars Abkhazia	Georgia
Commanders and leaders
Eduard Kokoity Dmitry Medvedev Marat Kulakhmetov Vladimir Anua	Mikheil Saakashvili Davit Kezerashvili Zaza Gogava
Strength
Possibly 3,000 Unknown number of regular troops, officially "hundreds" of irregulars Possibly 1,000	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown 12 officially confirmed dead and 150 wounded peacekeepers by August 8 Unknown	Up to 30 officially confirmed casualties by August 8
Unknown number of civilian victims; the South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity claims more than 1,400 killed.

Template:Georgia-Russia

The 2008 War in South Ossetia started in August 2008 after days of heavy fighting in the region. On 7 August, Georgian troops launched a military operation to take the town of Tskhinvali, the capital of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia (a breakaway region of Georgia). On 8 August, Russia responded by moving its troops across the border, reportedly bringing tanks and artillery into Tskhinvali, according to Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, to defend its civilians, most of whom hold Russian citizenship. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili now says his country is defending itself from "Russian aggression" and that Russian forces are bombing its civilian population.

Background

The region broke away from Georgia in the 1991–1992 war. A peacekeeping force with 500 troops each from Russia, North Ossetia-Alania (part of Russia) and Georgia monitors a 1992 truce. Today, many of the residents of South Ossetia are Russian citizens holding Russian passports.

Timeline

1 August – 7 August: "Sniper war"

Six people were reportedly killed and twenty-one injured as a result of one of the most intensive shootouts in years in the South Ossetian conflict zone late on 1 August and overnight on 2 August. Both sides have accused each other of opening fire first. On 3 August, the Russian government allowed South Ossetians to begin evacuation into Russia. On the first day, 20 bus-loads of refugees left the region.

Sporadic fighting continued every day since that event. On 6 August, shootouts increased and Georgia acknowledged it lost an armoured personnel carrier during the clashes. After a night of gunfire in which four people died, the shelling resumed at daybreak on Thursday 7 August. Residents were on the move, evacuating vulnerable areas of the South Ossetian capital. Georgia was reportedly moving tanks, artillery and troops to the border with South Ossetia.

However, by the close of August 7, Mikhail Saakashvili had ordered a unilateral ceasefire. “A sniper war is ongoing against residents of the villages in the South Ossetian conflict zone and as I speak now intensive fire is ongoing from artillery, from tanks, from self-propelled artillery systems – which have been brought in the conflict zone illegally – and from other types of weaponry, including mortars and grenade launchers,” Saakashvili said in a live televised address made at 7:10 p.m. local time on 7 August. Up to 10 Georgian soldiers died in clashes on 7 August, the Georgian interior ministry reported.

7 August – 8 August: Georgian operation begins

The ceasefire was broken hours later. Georgia said it was beginning an operation to "restore constitutional order in the whole region." Interfax quoted South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity as saying his forces were confronting Georgians in the outskirts of the regional capital, Tskhinvali. "Fierce fighting is under way," he said. Georgian commander Mamuka Kurashvili, on the other hand, was quoted to have said, "Despite our call for peace and a unilateral cease-fire, separatists continued shelling Georgian villages. We are forced to restore constitutional order in the whole region." He did not specify the action Georgia planned to take but Tbilisi does not recognize the South Ossetian government and has pledged to restore its control over the province. On 7 August, hundreds of South Ossetian refugees crossed the border into Russia. At 00:53 on 8 August, Georgian forces began bombing the route along which refugees were being moved. At 02:47, Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh said that volunteers are on the way to help the South Ossetians.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session in New York City and released a statement] to express "serious concerns at the escalation of violence." The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported 1,100 refugees arrived in North Ossetia by bus to escape the violence.

At 4:02 GMT, Russian media reports said Georgia had launched a tank-led attack on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, with at least 15 civilians killed by the shelling. At 04:45, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temuri Yakobashvili announced that Tskhinvali was nearly surrounded, and that Georgia controlled two-thirds of South Ossetia's territory. At 04:53, it was announced that an unspecified number of Abkhazian army units had advanced to the border of the arms limitation zone between Abkhazia and Georgia.

According to the North Ossetian president Taimuraz Mamsurov, a number of Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft of the Georgian Air Force attacked what he described to be a humanitarian aid convoy en route from Vladikavkaz. Mamsurov, who had accompanied the convoy and witnessed the attack, was unharmed. Earlier, he told the Interfax news agency that hundreds of armed volunteers from North Ossetia were heading to the Tskhinvali area.

8 August: Russia intervenes

On the morning of August 8, Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, who was in Beijing attending the 2008 Summer Olympics, condemned the "aggressive actions" by Georgia and said that Russia would be compelled to retaliate. By 09:30, Medvedev convened an emergency session of government officials to consider Russia’s options regarding the conflict.

A half hour later, Georgian sources reported that the three Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft flew into the Georgian airspace and dropped two bombs close to a police station near the town of Kareli, which borders South Ossetia. The source also reported that the nearby city of Gori suffered a brief Russian air strike, with no casualties. Russian authorities rejected these reports, which have however been independently confirmed.

By 11:40, Saakashvili mobilized the Georgian reserve troops amid what he referred to as "a large-scale military aggression" by Russia and called for Russia to stop "bombardment of the Georgian towns". Contending a Georgian report, the Russian Ministry of Defence denied that a Russian fighter plane had been shot down above Georgian territory, calling it "informational provocation". A spokesman for the Russian forces in South Ossetia said that Georgian shells directly hit barracks in Tskhinvali, killing several Russian soldiers.

Georgia reported that they offered a three-hour ceasefire starting 15:00 local time (11:00 UTC), to let civilians leave the besieged capital of Tskhinvali. However, at 10:29 UTC, Marat Kulakhmetov, commander of the Russian forces in the region, said that "these are further lies from the Georgian side. No corridor for civilians has been opened."

A column of Russian tanks from the 58th Army began moving to Tskhinvali to help support Russian forces in the area. Saakasvili said that the Russian column consisted of 150 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other equipment.

Russian media reported that the Georgian army was falling back from Tskhinvali. According to Georgian TV channel Rustavy-2, Russian Su-24 bombers and Su-27 fighters are attacking Georgian army forces on territory of South Ossetia and that the airspace above Tskhinvali was entirely controlled by Russian planes Kulakhmetov said that as a result of heavy bombardment, Tskhinvali is almost totally destroyed. Gas pipes, a hospital, and other objects of infrastructure were hit. According to France Press, at 12:00 UTC the National Security Council of Georgia (through a statement of Council Secretary Alexander Lomaia) declared that if messages about Russian tanks in South Ossetia will be confirmed, Georgia will declare war on Russia.

At 12:14 UTC Russian tanks entered Tskhinvali, reported first by Russian media and later by CNN.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said that a Russian fighter dropped two bombs on a military base in Vaziani (near Tbilisi). According to Lenta.ru there are US military instructors there.

At 16:55 UTC, Russian fighters bombed a military airfield in Marneuli, near Tbilisi. At least four Georgian soldiers were reported to have been killed and another five wounded in the air strike in Marneuli.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili initially said that Georgia was pulling its 2,000-strong troops from Iraq. The head of Georgia's Security Council, Kakha Lomaia, later clarified that only 1,000 troops were being redeployed, telling Reuters, "We have already communicated to our American friends that we are going to withdraw half our contingent of soldiers in Iraq within days because we are under Russian aggression."

At 12:24 UTC, Viktor Vodolatskiy, the Cossack ataman of the Don Republic, said that a "voluntary 429th Cossack division" will be created to help the fight in South Ossetia and that 450 people were already signed up.

About 13:30 UTC Eduard Kokoity, the President of South Ossetia, told the Interfax news agency in a phone interview, that the South Ossetian forces, together with volunteers, had recaptured parts of Tskhinvali and that the Georgians had suffered heavy casualties. However, Saakashvili has assured that Georgia is still in complete control of the city.

About 13:45 UTC Russian Ministry of Defence reported that Georgians had killed 10 Russian soldiers and wounded 30.

At 14:27 UTC Eduard Kokoity said that there are "hundreds of civilians killed in Tskhinvali" and called Saakashvili "a murderer." He also said that resistance was "mounting" in Tskhinvali and that four Georgian tanks had been hit in the railway station square.

At 14:53 UTC, South Ossetian Information and Press Committee reported that Russian armored vehicles had entered the northern suburb of Tskhinvali.

At 15:11 UTC, Georgian spokesman Shota Utiashvili said that "Russian armed forces are bombarding Tskhinvali" and that "We have lost control over some parts of the city". South Ossetian forces have begun to retake the city, with four Georgian tanks blown up in the city, the leader of South Ossetia's unrecognised government Eduard Kokoity said in a statement on the pro-South Ossetian website.

At 15:41 UTC, Georgia's Foreign Ministry claimed Russia has bombed Georgian military airfield Marneuli, damaging the runway, destroying several aircraft and wounding several airfield workers, as well as bombed the Bolnisi military airfield.

As of 18:48 UTC, the BBC reported that Russian forces had entered Tskhinvali. According to the BBC, Russian troops directly fired on Georgian forces.

9 August

At midnight, Russia will cut all air links to Georgia.

Russian media reported that heavy gunfire between Russian and Georgian troops was resumed during the night.

Since August 9 Georgia banned all Russian TV channels from broadcasting due to their alleged misinformation.

Humanitarian impact

International Red Cross urged the combatant sides to make a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the wounded and civilians from Tskhinvali. The main city hospital is reported out of functioning, and ambulances can't reach the wounded. According to South Ossetia, Georgia continues to bomb the hospital. 22 wounded remain in the building, which has only two stories left.

A UN refugee agency said that thousands of refugees are leaving South Ossetia, mostly for North Ossetia.

Eduard Kokoity was reported as saying that the death toll has risen to 1,400.

Cyberattacks

South Ossetian officials stated that two Ossetian news media sites were hacked. Dmitry Medoev, the South Ossetian secessionist envoy in Moscow, claimed that Georgia was trying to cover up reports of deaths.

Georgian National Bank website was defaced and replaced with a gallery of known dictators of 20th century with Saakašvili added amongst them. Georgian newsportals were under DDoS attacks and reportedly the site of defence ministry was hacked aswell. The attack is similar to 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and carried out by same techniques.

Reactions

Russia

After the GMT 4:00 8 August UN Security Council meeting, Boris Malakhov, spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that he hoped it was still possible to prevent "mass bloodshed", adding, "It now became clear why the Georgian side was refraining under various pretexts from signing a legally binding document on non-use of force" Russian envoy Yuri Popov said Georgia's military operation showed it could not be trusted and NATO should reconsider its plans to grant membership to Georgia. Popov said, "Georgia's step is absolutely incomprehensible and shows that the Georgian leadership has zero credit of trust." He called Georgia's behavior treacherous." At 07:32 on 8 August, Vladimir Putin, in Beijing attending the 2008 Summer Olympics, condemned the "aggressive actions" by Georgia and said that Russia would be compelled to retaliate. Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, stated: "I must protect the life and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are.... We will not allow their deaths to go unpunished. Those responsible will receive a deserved punishment", he said. (many residents of South Ossetia are in fact Russian citizens) In a letter to all NATO members, Russian Special Envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin stated that Georgia had "got a permit to start a military operation" after the 2008 Bucharest summit and warned against continued support of Georgia and its president.

International organizations

• European Union - On August 9, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France and currently holding the presidency of the European Union, announced with American President George W. Bush that the EU and the USA will send a joint delegation to try and negotiate a cease fire.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO's official website posted the following statement from the NATO Secretary General: "The NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, is seriously concerned about the events that are taking place in the Georgian region of South Ossetia and said that the Alliance is closely following the situation. The Secretary General calls on all sides for an immediate end of the armed clashes and direct talks between the parties"
• Red Cross International - The International Red Cross urged the combatant sides to make a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the wounded and civilians from Tskhinvali.
• United Nations - On August 7, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced grave concern over the escalation of violence and urged all parties to the conflict to "refrain from any actions that might jeopardize the situation further and pose threat to stability in the region". On August 8 at GMT 4 a.m. an emergency session of the UN Security Council was held to discuss the situation. The session was requested by Russia. The session failed to reach an agreement that would have called on Georgia and the separatists to immediately halt all fighting, but expressed its concern over the renewed conflict.

States

• Armenia - The Armenian Foreign Ministry said official Yerevan is closely monitoring the situation and urging the conflicting parties to call a halt to military operations.. “We are certainly concerned about the situation and hope that a solution will be found very quickly,” Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian told RFE/RL. “We hope that the parties will make maximum efforts to quickly stop bloodshed and find peaceful solutions to contentious issues,” he said.
• Azerbaijan - A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Khazar Ibrahim, said that the Georgian actions were in accord with international law and that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia.
• China - China called for worldwide truce coinciding with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
• Estonia - The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on August 8th calling for an immediate stop to the hostilities to avoid further casualties, and starting peaceful negotiations. The statement suggests that the basis for these negotiations could be the proposal by the Georgian president to guarantee broad autonomy for South-Ossetia. For a quick solution the European Union and OSCE are expected to respond adequately and international efforts should be closely coordinated. Estonia supports the intermediation proposal by Finland. Estonia is ready, in keeping with its capability, to take part in humanitarian assistance. In a statement on July 22, preceding the war, the Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet emphasized the territorial integrity of Georgia and said that Russia must remove its illegally stationed troops from Georgia.
• Iceland - The Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir has in a statement from the Ministry called on the belligerents to preserve civilians and demands a quick end to the hostilities with a peaceful solution.
• Kazakhstan - Following Vladimir Putin's remarks, the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, said "The Georgian leadership was not right when it failed to inform on its actions toward South Ossetia and about higher tensions taking place there". Interfax also reported that Nazarbayev "agreed with Putin's view that countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States should make an assessment of the situation and undertake efforts to halt it".
• Lithuania - On August 7th, President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, received a phone call from the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili asked Lithuania’s president to help inform heads of the European Union and other western states of the situation in the region. Adamkus assured that Lithuania would inform other European partners about the situation in Georgia and would seek adequate attention and assistance from the European Union in dealing with the situation. On August 8, Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Petras Vaitiekūnas was sent to Georgia. He will be there to inform the EU partners about the situation in Georgia.
• Sweden - Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt said in a statement: "The way in which the situation in South Ossetia has deteriorated is cause for profound concern. It is extremely important that all those involved show restraint and play their part in bringing about a political solution," ... "I am particularly concerned about the impact of the conflict on civilians. Georgia and Russia are dangerously close to war and there is a great risk of this spreading to other parts of the Caucasus."
• Turkey - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that the fighting is a grave concern for Turkey, which neighbors Georgia. Erdoğan has called for an immediate cease-fire and has said that he would call Georgian and Russian leaders to urge restraint if necessary.
• Ukraine - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called to all sides to stop fire immediately and to start solving the problem by negotiations. Ukraine has confirmed its position of support of Georgian territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was stated that Ukraine is ready to make its contribution to peaceful resolution of the region's conflict within the framework of international diplomatic efforts. Ukranian president Viktor Yushchenko, has sent his special representative Kostyantyn Yelisyeyev to Tbilisi as a result of phone conversation of Georgian President M.Saakashvili. The aims of the visit are consultations with Georgian authorities and representatives of OSCE, investigation of the situation in the region and presenting of the Ukrainian position on peaceful resolution of conflict. The Foreign Ministry also called on Russia to remove its troops from Georgia and pressure the "separatist regime" to negotiations.
• United Kingdom - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office states on its website 'We are monitoring developments in Georgia following news that there has been heavy fighting between Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists. We urge an immediate ceasefire in the fighting in South Ossetia and for a resumption of direct dialogue between all parties.'
• United States - After the GMT 4:00 8 August UN Security Council meeting, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, however, said it appeared that the South Ossetians were the provokers of the violence. Fried said, "We have urged the Russians to urge their South Ossetian friends to pull back and show greater restraint. And we believe that the Russians ... are trying to do just that." White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on 8 August, "All sides should bring an immediate end to the violence and engage in direct talks to resolve this matter peacefully." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later stated: "We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity, and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil."

Non-recognized states

• Abkhazia - On August 5, Abkhazia's separatist foreign minister, Sergey Shamba, announced that Abkhazia's army may open a second front against Georgia if it launched a full-scale attack against Ossetia.

Military

Size

Weapons

Both armies are equipped with predominantly Soviet-made weapons. However, Georgia has recently also been acquiring a plethora of western made weaponry, particularly for the army special forces and special police units.

References

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101. What will be the outcome of the Georgian-Ossetian war?
102. What will be the outcome of the Georgian-Ossetian war?
103. What will be the outcome of the Georgian-Ossetian war?
104. What will be the outcome of the Georgian-Ossetian war?

External links

• Timeline: Georgia-Ossetia armed conflict (Russia Today)
• Comparison of force strength (Reuters)

• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from August 2008
• Current events
• South Ossetia
• Wars involving Georgia (country)
• Wars involving Russia
• Georgia (country)–Russia relations