Ministry of Education and Science Russian Federation

Federal Agency for Education

State educational institution of higher professional education

"Kostroma State University named after N.A. Nekrasova"

Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology

Georgian- Yu it's good O Setin conflict . Causes and consequences

Completed by: Kruglov

Maxim Vladimirovich

Kostroma 2008

Plan

1. “Republic” of South Ossetia

2. War in South Ossetia 2008

3. Versions of the reasons for the start of the war in South Ossetia (2008)

4. Truce

5. Military losses and victims of war

6. Consequences

1. "Republic" of South Ossetia

The capital is Tskhinvali (Tskhinvali).

Population - about 85 thousand, Ossetians - about 67%, Georgians - about 25%, other nationalities - about 7% (2003). About 40 thousand refugees from South Ossetia are in North Ossetia. 95% of the population have Russian citizenship (June 1, 2002, after the adoption of a new citizenship law in Russia, which granted the right to former citizens of the USSR who were left stateless after the collapse Soviet Union, exchange Soviet passports for Russian ones, mass issuance has begun Russian passports residents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia), including a significant part of the Georgian population who has both Georgian and Russian citizenship.

The political status of South Ossetia remains uncertain. The self-proclaimed republic is not recognized by the world community, and the official status, Tbilisi, considers South Ossetia to be the Tskhinvali region of Georgia, but does not actually control it.

2. War in South Ossetia

Before the shots and explosions from the previous ones had even subsided a little, a new war broke out in the Caucasus, this time between Georgia and South Ossetia. Later, new participants from South Ossetia, Russia and Abkhazia appeared in this conflict.

This armed confrontation was a consequence of the aggravation of the South Ossetian conflict, the official start date of which is considered to be November 10, 1989, when the Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic decided to create an autonomous South Ossetian Republic.

The most striking turns of this conflict occurred earlier: in 2004 (when on May 31 the Georgian side transferred units of its Internal Troops with heavy military equipment to the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict), in February 2006, and also in 2007, when an incident occurred with the fall of a “Russian” rocket in the area of ​​the Georgian village of Tsitelubani.

However, the escalation of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in August 2008 is undoubtedly the bloodiest in its entire history.

At the end of July - beginning of August 2008, the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict escalated. Skirmishes and fire raids of varying degrees of intensity occurred regularly. Civilians of South Ossetia began to leave the conflict zone en masse.

On the afternoon of August 7, 2008, Secretary of the South Ossetian Security Council Anatoly Barankevich stated: “Georgian troops are active along the entire border with South Ossetia. All this suggests that Georgia is beginning large-scale aggression against our republic.”

3. Versions of the reasons for the start of the war in South Ossetia

Analysts identify several versions of the reasons why the war broke out on the territory of South Ossetia. Let's look at the main ones.

· Georgia version:

On August 8, the commander of the Georgian peacekeepers, Mamuka Kurashvili, called Georgia’s actions in South Ossetia “an operation to restore constitutional order in the Tskhinvali region.” Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili explained that “the goal of the Georgian leadership is not to take cities. “In Tbilisi they only want to put an end to the criminal regime so that no one threatens our cities, citizens and infrastructure.” The Georgian side stated that the actions of the Georgian army in South Ossetia were a response to a violation of the ceasefire.

On August 22, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili said in an interview with the Ukrainian agency UNIAN: “... the decision to attack Tskhinvali was made only when a column of Russian military equipment began to enter South Ossetia. The stories that we used Grad missile launchers to attack Tskhinvali are a lie! Tskhinvali was bombed by the Russians after we took it for four and a half hours. We bombed the surrounding heights, using, among other things, aircraft and Grad missiles. I emphasize, not populated areas.”

On September 5, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Grigol Vashadze, in an interview with an Interfax diplomatic correspondent, stated that “from August 1 to 7, the heavy artillery of the so-called South Ossetian forces under the leadership of the Russian military razed all Georgian villages adjacent to the conflict zone.”

According to official statements by the Georgian side, the Russian peacekeeping forces that remained on Georgian territory after the signing of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan “really represented occupation forces, whose main goal was not the resolution of the conflict, but the appropriation of Georgian territories.”

· South Ossetia version:

In the South Ossetian interpretation, the war was caused by an ethnic conflict between the Ossetians, who defended the original Ossetian lands, and the Georgians, who infringed on the rights of the Ossetians and were guilty of genocide; Ossetians, with moderate support from Russian troops, expelled the Georgians forever and achieved independence. On August 8, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity reported numerous casualties among civilians in South Ossetia and accused Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of genocide Ossetian people. In his interview, Kokoity also admitted cases of looting in Georgian villages.

· Russia version:

9 August Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief ground forces Russian Federation I. Konashenkov stated that units and subunits of the 58th Army, having arrived on the outskirts of Tskhinvali, “began preparing an operation to enforce peace in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the peacekeepers.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the reasons for the entry of Russian troops into the conflict zone were Georgia’s aggression against the territories of South Ossetia not under its control and the consequences of this aggression: a humanitarian catastrophe, the exodus of 30 thousand refugees from the region, the death of Russian peacekeepers and many residents of South Ossetia. Lavrov qualified the actions of the Georgian army against civilians as genocide. He noted that the majority of the population of South Ossetia are citizens of Russia and that “not a single country in the world would remain indifferent to the murder of its citizens and expulsion of them from their homes.” Lavrov said that Russia “did not prepare for this conflict” and came up with a proposal to adopt a UN Security Council resolution calling on Georgia and South Ossetia to renounce the use of force. According to Lavrov, “Russia’s military response to the Georgian attack on Russian citizens and peacekeeping troops was completely proportionate.” Lavrov explained the need to bomb military infrastructure outside the conflict zone by saying that it was used to support the Georgian offensive. Lavrov called accusations that Russia, using the South Ossetian conflict as cover, was trying to overthrow the Georgian government and establish control over that country as “utter nonsense.” He noted that as soon as security in the region was restored, the Russian President announced the end of the military operation.

On August 11, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry Boris Malakhov denied the version that Russia’s goal is to overthrow the regime of M. Saakashvili.

On August 15, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that “Mr. Saakashvili was tired of all this diplomacy, and he simply decided to slaughter the Ossetians who were interfering with him.”

According to the deputy chief General Staff Armed Forces of the Russian Federation A. A. Nogovitsyn, the Georgian operation “Clean Field” against South Ossetia was developed by Georgia together with the United States.

· Abkhazia version:

On August 22, Anatoly Zaitsev, Chief of the General Staff of Abkhazian military personnel, said that the Georgian army, after the complete capture of South Ossetia, planned to launch an offensive in 3 hours military operation against Abkhazia. According to him, Georgia’s plans were as follows: “a powerful air strike was launched, the first echelon of troops was landed from the sea in the amount of 800 people on high-speed boats, then again 800 people were supposed to land in Sukhumi, and 6 thousand people were supposed to strike with artillery and reactive systems, with a firing range of 45 km, at our mountain rifle battalions in the Kodori Gorge and checkpoints of Russian peacekeeping forces. The Georgians assumed that our units and “blue helmets” checkpoints would be demolished by heavy fire in this narrow gorge, and after that the Georgian group began to advance in the direction of Sukhumi.”

· Other versions:

Among the versions that were considered by experts, there were also the most exotic ones as the cause of the South Ossetian conflict.

It turns out that hostilities between Georgia and Russia are not accidental in this particular region of the Caucasus, where the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline runs. Allegedly, the struggle was over Azerbaijani oil. The conflict even caused panic in the international energy market.

Georgia has no oil reserves. But the country is a key transport hub for oil and gas exports from Azerbaijan to the west. Many feared that Russian warplanes would begin to bomb the second longest oil pipeline in Europe, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan.

Since 2006, this oil pipeline has been used to supply oil to Western markets from Azerbaijan from the shores of the Caspian Sea through the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The pipeline carries 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.

This is one of the best texts about the Russian-Georgian war of 2008.

Six years ago, the Russian-Georgian war broke out. It certainly created a new reality - in Georgia, Russia, the post-Soviet space and in the world in relation to Russia. But most of us know about it from myths created by massive Russian propaganda. Here are the most common ones

Myth No. 1: Saakashvili started the war

War is started by those who prepare for it in advance.

Who prepared for it and who tried to prevent it?

In June-July 2008, various information sources reported that a political decision on an imminent (presumably in August) war with Georgia had already been made in Moscow, with Putin personally overseeing the preparations. The official news agency Osinform will publish the formula for a future war: “a peacekeeping operation to force the aggressor to peace.”

On July 5, large-scale maneuvers of the North Caucasus Military District (NCMD) "Caucasus-2008" begin. 8,000 military personnel, 700 armored vehicles, and ships of the Black Sea Fleet are taking part in them. The official purpose of the exercise is to prepare for a “peace enforcement operation.” The troops are distributing the leaflet “Warrior, know your probable enemy!” - with a description of the armed forces of Georgia.

The best airborne units are being transferred to the border with Georgia Russian army from different regions countries. They replace the motorized rifle units previously stationed there. At the Terskoye training ground of the 58th Army in the south of North Ossetia, a field military hospital is being set up, capable of treating 300 wounded per day.
After the end of the maneuvers, the field hospital is not dismantled. The troops participating in them do not return to their places of permanent deployment. Some of them seep into South Ossetia. Fortunately, just these days (coincidentally) the construction of a military base in Java was completed.

By the beginning of the war (that is, before 08/08/08 - the official date of entry of Russian troops into fighting) about 200 units of armored vehicles and advanced units of the 135th and 693rd regiments of the 58th Army - over 1,200 people - were concentrated in Java. Russia still does not recognize this (how can one admit that Russian troops were stationed in South Ossetia before the start of the aggression to repel Georgian aggression?), but the testimony of the soldiers and officers of the 58th Army themselves, which appeared in the media, does not leave this doubts (see, for example, selection).

Simultaneously with military training, information training took place. On July 20, hacker attacks began on Georgian government and information sites. It was the second in history famous case cyber warfare against the state. (The first was recorded in 2007, when, after the aggravation of relations between Russia and Estonia due to the relocation of the monument Soviet soldiers in the center of Tallinn, the websites of Estonian government agencies were destroyed.) The final attack occurred on the morning of August 8 - against Russian-language information websites of Georgia.

But from August 1, people began to arrive from Vladikavkaz to Tskhinvali in an organized manner. Russian journalists. Soon their number increased to 50 people, but not a single foreigner (with the exception of a correspondent for the Ukrainian TV channel Inter) was among them. Russian authorities They established a strict access system: accreditation had to be obtained from both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only the most trusted and trusted could pass through this double sieve.

This ensured that the conditions were not only for a massive invasion, but also that only what needed to be reported about it was ensured.

The most significant thing in this multi-step combination is that the war has actually begun
July 29, 2008.

It was on this day that hostilities began. And they were started, in accordance with plans from Moscow, by South Ossetian armed formations completely controlled by Russia.

They began massive and systematic shelling of villages in South Ossetia under Georgian jurisdiction and the positions of the Georgian peacekeeping contingent. The fire came from mortars and 120-mm guns, which are generally prohibited in the conflict zone. People died.

This is not a separate escalation in the long-standing confrontation between the separatists and the central government. This is a blatant prelude to war. Deliberate provocation with the aim of causing a response. So the city punks send a youngster to pick on a passer-by, only to then jump out from around the corner and pile on him shouting: “Don’t touch the kid!”

The Tbilisi authorities understood perfectly well what was expected of them. But it is impossible to bear the blows for long. By the evening of August 1, the Georgians begin returning artillery fire on militant positions in the vicinity of Tskhinvali. The Ossetians are responding by expanding the shelling zone of Georgian villages and increasing the intensity of fire. Large-caliber mortars and 122-mm guns are already in use.

Mass evacuation of the population to Russia begins from Tskhinvali. Over the course of several days, more than 20 thousand people were taken out. This is estimated to be half the actual population of the self-proclaimed republic. Tskhinvali becomes an almost deserted city.

And through the Roki tunnel - the only way for heavy equipment to pass from North Ossetia to South Ossetia - Russian armored vehicles and troops are moving.

The Georgian authorities are trying to the last to resolve the matter peacefully. Saakashvili's personal representative T. Yakobashvili arranges a meeting with the South Ossetian leadership in Tskhinvali on August 7 through the mediation of the Russian Ambassador-at-Large Yu. Popov.

He's coming. Popov is not there. It turns out that the tire got flat on the way. "So put on the spare tire!" - the Georgian minister advises the Russian ambassador. “And the spare tire is punctured,” the ambassador replies. Such a disaster. The representative of South Ossetia refuses to negotiate without a Russian mediator.

Yakobashvili is negotiating with whoever he has - the commander peacekeeping forces General Kulakhmetov. He admits that he is “no longer able to control the Ossetian units.” What to do? “Announce a unilateral ceasefire,” Kulakhmetov advises.

Within an hour, Yakobashvili resolved the issue. At 17:00 he announces to Kulakhmetov that the Georgian government has agreed to a unilateral ceasefire. At 17:10 the Georgian guns fell silent. At 19:10 Saakashvili announces this in a live television address in Georgian and Ossetian and calls for negotiations.

The response is to intensify shelling of Georgian villages. By 23:00 they reached their peak. And at the same time, a column of Russian troops with 100 units of armored vehicles emerges from the Roki tunnel. The invasion has begun.
In half an hour, Saakashvili will give the order to start a military operation.

Could he have done anything differently? Of course he could.

But to do this, you had to forget that you are the president of a sovereign country, that you are a man and that you are Georgian. And if he had done this, he would not have been one, or the other, or the third.

It was a Zugzwang situation: the rulers of Russia skillfully brought him into the war, leaving no other way out.
The one who wants war, the one who starts the war is the one who prepares for it, the one who does not give the enemy a chance to avoid it. It was Russia.

Myth No. 2: Russia started the war to stop the genocide of Ossetians

Where did this come from?

Already on August 8, the President of South Ossetia E. Kokoity reported that as a result of shelling and military operations in Tskhinvali alone, 1,400 people were killed - the figure is not final. The next day, August 9, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic announced that 2,100 civilians had died in Tskhinvali.
This figure - more than 2,000 dead - appeared everywhere later: in reports, in media reports, and in online forums.

The number of victims was supplemented by examples of the atrocities of the Georgian military: direct fire from tanks at houses where civilians were hiding, targeted fire from machine guns at children and the elderly, burning of houses along with living people, decapitated corpses of girls...

But when they began to count, it turned out that everything was not quite like that. During the entire fighting in the city, the Tskhinvali hospital, where all the wounded and dead Ossetians were admitted, received 273 wounded and 44 killed, 90% of the victims were South Ossetian militias. Chapter investigative committee at the Russian Prosecutor's Office, A. Bastrykin announced that 134 civilians of South Ossetia had died during the entire war, according to Yulia Latynina, “resurrecting 1,866 people in one fell swoop.”

But even after the official count, the number “2000” remained in the public consciousness, and even in speeches and interviews with officials, including Putin.

Although it is initially unrealistic. The official number of residents of Tskhinvali before the war was 42 thousand. After the evacuation in early August, half of them should have remained. The usual ratio of killed to wounded in military conflict zones is 1:3. This means, statistically, for every 2,000 killed there should have been another 6,000 wounded. That is, almost every second Tskhinvali resident would have been wounded or killed after the Georgian assault. And if it were so, would such a brave arithmetician as Kokoity be able to keep silent about it? But he didn't say.

How did 2,000 dead appear on the second day? And so - what genocide without thousands of victims! "Thousands" is at least two. So it turned out to be 2000. Modestly - to the minimum.

As for the Georgian atrocities, not a single fact was confirmed even after verification by such a demanding organization as Human Rights Watch. Not a single eyewitness account - only retellings of what was told. That's how rumors spread. Judging by their abundance and drama, these were deliberately spread rumors. Professional disinformation.

But ethnic cleansing of Georgians by South Ossetian armed forces is not a rumor. The Georgian population in South Ossetia, where Georgian villages interspersed with Ossetian ones almost in a checkerboard pattern, no longer exists. Robbed, expelled, killed - some Georgian villages were simply razed to the ground. This was done by the hands of the brave warriors of Kokoity. They did not distinguish themselves in battles and almost did not participate (and the warlike president himself, at the first reports of the advance of Georgian troops to Tskhinvali, fled from the capital under the shadow of Russian tanks to Java, and returned with them), but they took their souls in reprisals against civilians and looting.

Thanks to their efforts, there are no more Georgians in South Ossetia. But on the territory of Georgia, outside of South Ossetia, more than 60 thousand Ossetians lived and continue to live peacefully. What would happen to them if the Georgians really started genocide? Remember the Armenians in Baku during the Karabakh crisis.

But the fact is that there was no genocide of Ossetians in Georgia or by Georgians either before the war, during it, or after it. There was no reason.

Myth No. 3: Russia went to war to protect its peacekeepers

The last thing the Georgians wanted was to fight with Russian peacekeepers.

The first thing they did when starting hostilities was to warn the Russian peacekeeping contingent.
At 23.35, President Saakashvili gives the order to begin the operation, and at 23.40, the commander of the Georgian peacekeeping forces, Brigadier General Mamuka Kurashvili, reports the advance of the troops to the commander of the Russian peacekeepers, General Kulakhmetov, and asks not to interfere.

“It’s not that simple,” the Russian general answered the Georgian.

Even before this, at the initial stage of hostilities, Ossetian artillerymen and mortarmen fired at Georgian villages near the peacekeepers’ deployment sites, using them as cover, or even using direct assistance to direct fire. Kulakhmetov did not consider it necessary to deny this in conversations with Georgian officials. During the offensive of Georgian troops key figures The South Ossetian command was hiding in the main headquarters. According to international standards, this made it a legitimate target.

However, in the target map issued to Georgian artillerymen during artillery preparation, the peacekeepers' targets were marked as prohibited for fire.

In order to protect its peacekeepers, the Russian leadership did not have to send troops and spend money on the war. It was enough to prohibit Kokoity from using them as cover - and everyone would have remained safe. But the goal was different.

Myth #4: Russia started the war to protect its citizens

The Russian authorities themselves created their own artificial diaspora in South Ossetia, issuing Russian citizenship and Russian passports to thousands of residents of the self-proclaimed republic on Georgian territory. Legally, this is regarded as interference in the internal affairs of another state. As it turned out - and in fact. The artificial diaspora created an artificial reason for intervention: protecting our citizens is nothing like the newly minted ones, everyone is dear to us.
Ingenious, of course: this can provide justification for an invasion of any country.
But not original: in the same way, Hitler created a pretext for the annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 under the pretext of protecting the rights of the Sudeten Germans and for making territorial claims to Poland. Milosevic tried to do the same thing in the 90s in dismembered Yugoslavia.
Firstly, good company. Secondly, we know how this defense of their “oppressed compatriots” ultimately turned out.
Who really benefited from the virtually uncontrolled issuance of Russian passports to residents of South Ossetia is the corrupt elite of the republic. Georgians discovered hundreds of Russian passports without the owners' signatures in captured Tskhinvali - these " dead Souls“Pensions and benefits were probably accrued from the Russian treasury.

Myth 5: Georgia bombed Tskhinvali

When Georgian troops approached Tskhinvali on the night of August 8, they only conducted barrage fire and shelled administrative buildings. There was no need for anything else. The Georgians entered an intact and half-empty city, which was abandoned not only by the majority of residents, but also by the main forces of the militia. Kokoity with the color of his army fled to the Russian military base in Java. The Georgian troops were opposed by a few scattered groups of partisans with small arms. They could only run away from the tanks.

Bombing and shelling of the city from "Grads" were needed in the next two days, when the Georgians were driven out of the city by Russian troops who arrived to help their Ossetian brothers. These were their bombs and shells. It is on their conscience that most of the dead civilians (see Myth No. 2) and the destroyed city are responsible.

Myth No. 6: Georgians fled shamefully

Most of us get an idea of ​​the course of modern wars from television pictures. From the picture of the August war, the viewer could remember how “timid Georgians fled,” leaving equipment and barracks with their beds made. And I couldn’t see what wasn’t shown.
For example, the defeat of a Russian column of armored vehicles by Georgian special forces on August 8. Then, out of 120 tanks and armored personnel carriers, more than half were destroyed, and the commander of the 58th Army, General Khrulev, was seriously wounded. According to Saakashvili, this episode delayed the advance of Russian troops for two days. And then the Russian command brought up such forces that in the event of a direct confrontation, the Georgian army would have been completely destroyed. And he gave the order to retreat so that there would be something to defend Tbilisi. You can't break the butt with a whip.
It is clear that the balance of forces between the Russian and Georgian armies is so disproportionate that there can be no talk of any real confrontation. But this rather relates to Myth No. 1 - about whether the Georgians wanted war.

Myth No. 7: The war ended in peace

Georgia lost 20% of its territory - lands that most Georgians consider theirs. Not a single Georgian president will dare to abandon them forever. And no one can guarantee that any of them will not dare to return what was lost - including by force.

Russia acquired two formally independent quasi-states as satellites, which, besides itself, were recognized only by such influential powers as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru - for 50 million dollars, and Vanuatu is still bargaining, and Hamas, which itself is not a state. In fact, these are two forever subsidized regions of Russia, doomed to be black holes of the Russian budget, oases of wild corruption and crime. There will never be prosperity or even peace there, but there will always be the possibility of criminal and national conflicts.

Russia has regained its Soviet image of a brutal aggressor, which, of course, pleases national pride, but only harms business, diplomacy and, ultimately, the security of the country.

Russia and Georgia have become and will remain irreconcilable enemies. This will last a long time. After the war, a real “cold war” began between the two states, and as recent past experience shows, in a “cold war” the one who has more weapons and a stronger army does not always win.

Myth No. 8: South Ossetia is the land of Ossetia, not Georgia

The territory of South Ossetia is the original part of Georgia, as even the geographical names indicate. The same Tskhinvali, after the war in the Russian press and official documents renamed Tskhinvali, this did not make it any less Georgian, since its root is from the ancient Georgian word meaning “hornbeam”. Ossetians in the capital of South Ossetia became the national majority only in 1990. Before the interethnic conflicts of the decline of the USSR and the wars of sovereignty caused by it, there was practically no antagonism between Georgians and Ossetians. This is not even the situation of Kosovo, where an overwhelming Albanian majority was formed on primordially Serbian soil. The ethnic cleansing carried out by Kokoity with the support of Putin in 2008 is too deep and too fresh a wound for it to heal and for Georgians to come to terms with it.

And finally, a lot of photos of destroyed Georgian villages

Little victorious war (tm)
About the Russian-Georgian war of August 8-12, 2008.
This war is just an echo of the confrontation between two powers - the Empire of Good (USA) and the Empire of Evil (Russia).
The United States pursued largely political goals, namely, the implementation of the previous administration’s program to “promote democracy” in the East. If we consider the military component, the Pentagon was interested in assessing the effectiveness of the GSSOP II training program for puppet armies in the post-Soviet space. Well, a real assessment of the combat effectiveness of the Russian (as it sounds in all documents from American sources) army.

For our FSB and GRU, the task was set differently - to contribute to the defeat of the Georgian army and to seize objects of interest. Our GRU was interested in three modern electrical installations built by the Americans in Georgia. Radar station in Anaklia, air defense center near Gori, air defense radar on a mountain near Tbilisi. The first two were captured and taken away.

The plan for the American operation in Georgia was revealed in the spring, a few months before the war. It is known that Bush personally gave “permission” to the war, that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who arrived in Tbilisi a month before the war, discussed the details of the operation there, assuring that the Russians would not dare to attack Georgia.

Back in 2006, Georgia had a plan for code name“Throw the Tiger,” which envisaged, before May 1, 2006, with the support of the United States and the OSCE, forcing Russia to withdraw its peacekeepers from South Ossetia. Following this, in order to destabilize the situation in the region, several high-profile provocations were to be organized within a week against the population of Georgian enclaves in South Ossetia. At the same time, under the pretext of localizing the conflict area and ensuring the safety of the Georgian population living in close proximity to it, it was planned to create groups of Georgian troops on the border with South Ossetia. On May 6, formations, military units and units of Georgian law enforcement agencies from different directions were to capture all major settlements in South Ossetia while simultaneously completely blocking the border with the Russian Federation. Next, according to the plan, was the arrest of the actual leadership of South Ossetia and their bringing to trial. Then martial law was to be introduced in the republic, a provisional government was appointed and curfew. In total, the Georgian military was given 7 days for this operation. The existence of such a plan was confirmed in an interview with Reuters by former Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili.

In 2007, President Saakashvili demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia. The largest base was Akhalkalaki. The troops were withdrawn ahead of schedule - on November 15, 2007, although the withdrawal was planned during 2008. Only Russian peacekeepers remained, acting under the CIS mandate in Abkhazia and under the Dagomys agreements in South Ossetia.

During Saakashvili's presidency, Georgia set a world record for military budget growth, increasing it more than 33 times from 2003 to 2008. The Georgian leadership sharply increased its military budget, trying to bring its armed forces to NATO standards. The Georgian budget for 2008 planned expenditures for the Ministry of Defense equivalent to $0.99 billion, which amounted to more than 25% of all Georgian budget revenues for 2008.

Georgia's arms suppliers included the United States, England, France, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Serbia and others, although the Serbian plant that produces Kalashnikov assault rifles denies direct deliveries and suggests that the assault rifles came to Georgia through Croatia and Bosnia . Ukraine supplied to Georgia the following types weapons: Osa and Buk air defense systems, Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, L-39 training aircraft, self-propelled guns (including heavy 2S7 "Pion" 203 mm caliber) as well as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and weapon. Georgian special forces were trained by American specialists according to a program that was tested in Croatia in 1995 as part of the operation of the Croatian armed forces to capture the Serbska Krajina region, the majority of whose population were ethnic Serbs

The war, which began on the night of August 7-8, was preceded by a five-day escalation of the situation on the border of the then unrecognized South Ossetia. Starting on August 3, shootings broke out at night. Observers from the OSCE and Russian military observers worked to identify the instigators and tried to resolve the situation; tripartite negotiations were held.

Actually, from the very beginning it was clear that all the provocations were carefully planned and carried out precisely by the Georgian side. Involve the Ossetians in a shootout, and then make sad faces and shout to the whole world that the bandit Ossetians are not allowing peaceful Georgians to live. Control over the actions of Georgian saboteurs and their training was carried out by specialists from the CIA.

The words of Mikheil Saakashvili before the war testify to this. “I will add that the purpose of this attack was not only to liberate South Ossetia for Georgia, but also to “drive,” as Saakashvili put it in a conversation with Burjanadze, Russian troops “on rusty tanks” and demonstrate Russian “impotence” to the whole world. In other conversations, he said that he personally wanted to put Putin in his place..." Some may find it funny, but the Georgian generals and their commander-in-chief were going to drive our army all the way to Rostov.

At 23.45 on August 7, the Georgian side began massive shelling by the forces of the artillery brigade, and in the morning the Georgian offensive began: hourly arrangement and video.

Strengths of the parties

What was the Georgian army like by the night of August 8? The main force of the group consisted of special forces units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tbilisi and the regions:
1. Elite special forces unit of Shavnabad;
2. "Anti-terrorist" special squad;
3. Department for the protection of pipelines (under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs);
4. Divisions of the first and third departments of the Main Directorate for Special Affairs;
5. Parts of the Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kvemo-Kartli, Gori and other regional departments of the same Main Directorate;
6. Batumi Marine Battalion;
7. Special forces brigade of the joint headquarters of the Ministry of Defense.

Total - up to 15 thousand military personnel of the Ministry of Defense, 5 thousand employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 30 thousand reservists. According to other sources, the strength of all Georgian armed forces during the conflict was 29 thousand people, including reservists. Of these, 2 thousand were at that time in Iraq, and 17 thousand in South Ossetia, plus an unspecified number of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other law enforcement agencies.

Infantry - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades, trained under the American GSSOP II program. The 2nd brigade was in reserve, the 4th (armed with M4, suffered the greatest losses) and the 3rd covered Tskhinvali with pincers through the Znaur region and the Prissky heights with the goal of reaching Java. The 1st Brigade was in Iraq. Only one battalion of the 1st Brigade was the same Georgian peacekeeping battalion that opened fire on our peacekeepers at the beginning of the war.

A full-fledged Georgian brigade has at least 1,500 people on staff.

BTT - 120 T-72 tanks, modernized by Israeli specialists.

Artillery - 80 guns, 120 mortars, 27 MLRS "Larm" and "Grad" (according to other sources, LARM are unguided projectiles for the Israeli MLRS "Linx", produced by IMI under the designation "Pounder").

Aviation - 33 airplanes and 42 helicopters.

They were opposed by about 2 thousand Ossetian militias and 340 Russian military observers. Both did not have heavy weapons in the front zone. The Ossetians kept 4 T-55 tanks in the green area on the Zar road.

According to other sources, the armored forces of the Republic of South Ossetia consisted of 20 tanks and 25 self-propelled guns, and according to information “ Novaya Gazeta", about 80 T-72 and T-55 tanks remained after the Russian exercises "Caucasus-2008". Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Valery Kenyakin argued back in January 2006 that all the weapons that are now in Tskhinvali are the equipment that was equipped with the armed forces of the USSR and that remained there from the times of the Soviet Union. According to him, they were talking about four T-55 tanks, several howitzers and armored vehicles.

After the arrival of units of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District, the 76th “Pskov” Airborne Division, the “Vostok” battalion of the 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division and the Black Sea Fleet, the composition of the Russian Army group increased to 15 thousand people. From the Abkhaz side (Kodori Gorge), up to 5 thousand Abkhaz militia personnel could be involved.

"Yamadayevites" on the march:

Georgian and South Ossetian troops have been engaged in skirmishes and fire attacks of varying intensity since late July 2008. On the evening of August 7, the parties agreed on a ceasefire, which, however, was not actually done.

Ground operation

On August 7, the Georgian army tried to occupy the Pris Heights around Tskhinvali, but this attack was repulsed. On the same day, the American Ambassador to Georgia, John Teft, reported to Washington that Georgian troops, including units with Grad-type launchers, were moving towards South Ossetia.

On the afternoon of August 7, Secretary of the Security Council of South Ossetia Anatoly Barankevich said: “Georgian troops are active along the entire border with South Ossetia. All this suggests that Georgia is beginning large-scale aggression against our republic.” Barankevich also suggested that the Georgian military has plans to carry out an assault on Tskhinvali in the near future.

According to some reports, on the evening of August 7, part of the units of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District was alerted and received an order to advance to Tskhinvali. After the war, the Georgian side began to declare this, publishing its intelligence information in September 2008.

At 7 pm on August 7, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili made a special address on television: “... a few hours ago I issued an order, a very painful order, as commander in chief, so that not a single Georgian unit, not a single police and other unit subject to our control , did not return fire... I propose a ceasefire, I propose to immediately hold negotiations... I propose that the Russian Federation be the guarantor of South Ossetian autonomy on the territory of Georgia." “I am ready to take this step for the sake of peace, and I am ready for the Georgian state to forgive all the crimes that were committed over the past years, so that we achieve peace, and so that the peace process and negotiations move forward... for the sake of peace, we are ready to take to any compromise, to any agreement."

Half an hour before midnight, the artillery brigade begins a hurricane shelling of the positions of the Ossetians and our peacekeepers.

At 3.00 Spetsnaz, 1st, 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades go on the offensive.

A traffic jam of advancing troops formed at the crossing and was hit by an Ossetian mortar battery. Unimaginable chaos began, some of the reservists, throwing down their weapons, began to retreat and came under fire from the special forces of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Many of the reservists were from the region bordering Armenia, ethnic Armenians, and they all fled.

Only Maxim Akopyan died, there were several wounded. This stalled the advance for an hour.

First day video:

All that is visible in the footage is the center of the city around the headquarters of the peacekeeping forces.

The heaviest fighting took place in the “upper town” of military observers. There, 140 Russian soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Timerman held the defense for almost two days. After the artillery attack, their communications failed, Georgian tanks went on the attack twice.

The car park is on fire:

Here they are bombed by aircraft:

By evening, a reconnaissance platoon made its way to the “upper town” to help, providing communications. It was Captain Ukhvatov’s reconnaissance platoon; in a night battle they destroyed the servants of the Grad installation and captured a spotter.

Two tanks broke through. The one standing near the barracks was burned by their own during the retreat (the ammunition was shot, the chassis was damaged), the retreat of the main forces was covered by the captain and 4 soldiers, by lunchtime the paratroopers of the 54th Airborne Battalion came out to them).

According to the recollections of Georgian soldiers, “artillery support was only available if you knew the numbers of the mobile artillery officers.” Often the gunner was an ordinary infantryman, who gave commands on his mobile phone like “a little further and to the right... no, no, I made a mistake a little to the left.”

In total, under different commands, at different times of 3 days, up to 2 thousand Ossetians fought in Tskhinvali (according to other estimates - no less than three thousand).

The battle for Tskhinvali continued until 16.00, then the Georgian units retreated to their original positions, losing 7 tanks (3 on the square in front of the parliament, 1 “upper town”, 3 “oak grove”), 2 “Cobra” armored cars (Turkish wheeled armored personnel carrier based on the American armored car HMMWV). In one of them they found a body with a Ukrainian passport with the surname Borisenko.

In 15-20 minutes this Cobra will be shot down, trophy video:

12.00 Russia entered the war.

Russian aviation is bombing Georgian troops throughout the entire depth of the front line and rear bases. They bombed the roads to Tskhinvali, in one of these bombings, in the “oak grove” they burned 3 tanks, a truck, a Chevrolet of the medical service and 22 Georgian soldiers of the 42nd battalion of the 4th infantry brigade.

"Oak Grove" number 3:

The 42nd battalion fled in panic, the commanders and Americans jumped into their cars and rushed off. Those who did not have time to get into the cars fled at a run. All this army rushed past the 43rd battalion, which followed its comrades. The commander of the 42nd battalion died in battle the next day.

2 reinforced battalions (800 people) of the 58th Army under the command of General Khrulev begin to make their way to Tskhinvali. By the end of the day, they managed to recapture the village of Tbet and break the encirclement of the city.

On August 9, the Georgian parliament unanimously approved the decree of President Mikheil Saakashvili declaring martial law and full mobilization for a period of 15 days. In the text of the decree, the introduction of martial law was justified by the need to “prevent destabilization in the region, armed attacks on civilians and acts of violence, in order to protect human rights and freedoms.”

The first loss of the Russian Air Force in the August War. An SU-25BM aircraft of Colonel Oleg Terebunsky from the 368th Assault Aviation Regiment (Budennovsk airfield), shot down over the territory of South Ossetia in the Zarsky Pass area, between Java and Tskhinvali. He was hit by a MANPADS missile from South Ossetian militias at about 6 p.m. on August 8. The crash of the burning plane and its wreckage were recorded on video by a film crew from the Russian state TV channel Vesti and shown on television as the downing of a Georgian plane. The misidentification of the aircraft, which caused "friendly fire" and led to the first combat loss, likely occurred due to the fact that this was one of the first Russian aircraft sorties in the conflict, and the South Ossetian side was not yet aware of the participation of Russian aircraft in it.
In addition, just a few hours earlier, four Georgian Su-25 bombed a nearby area, after which the Ossetians had reason to assume that Georgian air raids would continue. Lieutenant Colonel Terebunsky successfully ejected and was quickly discovered and evacuated by the Russian side.
Anton Lavrov Torzhok

And here is what we managed to dig up from our colleagues from “Russia”. Consider the "source", with all the replicas.

The following video was made by the political officer of the battalion of the 135th regiment. Column of the 135th regiment on the march. Refugees. The footage is taken from the amateur film "South Ossetia. Chronicle of the War", the author of which is the political officer. Therefore, the first video, excuse me, has “music”...

The same political officer films the consequences of shelling of the column by Georgian mortars. An infantry fighting vehicle in which ammunition is exploding is on fire. This is the Zar road at the entrance to Tskhinvali, 4 kilometers away, just above the cemetery. Approximately from 11 to 13 Moscow time. Now no music.

Well, our shooting is the same day, but a little later. Exactly 20 minutes before this, Sasha Sladkov (correspondent of TV channel "Russia") and General Khrulev drove past us towards Tskhinvali.

The battalion tactical group (BTG) in the area of ​​the village of Khetagurovo came under mortar fire. A Georgian spotter directed artillery fire at the column and the group retreated, losing one infantry fighting vehicle and two mortar trucks, two more trucks were damaged and taken out the next day.

Battle or “ambush of Khrulev’s column”:

At about 15.00, the BTG went on the offensive, the task was to reach the southern outskirts of Tskhinvali to the “upper town”. The BTG column passed what was a Georgian post, and the reservists and tank crew left the position without a fight. Moving through the city in the direction of the “Upper Town”, in the “Shanghai” microdistrict, the column literally “ran into” soldiers of the 2nd Georgian Infantry Brigade. In the ensuing oncoming battle, General Khrulev was wounded in the shin.

All 8 Georgian intelligence officers were killed, they were literally mowed down at point-blank range. The battle distances were almost 8-10 meters. But one of the Georgian soldiers managed to throw a grenade, a fragment of which wounded General Khrulev. Part of the column with the wounded retreated to the height of Sarabuk, 5 km away, the other went further, occupying the outskirts of the city at the foot of the "Upper Town" high-rise building.

The battle in the city lasted about seven hours.

The video clearly shows how the BTG enters the city, Major Denis Vetchinov blows up an abandoned Georgian tank in the “oak grove” area. Then the BTG walks through the city and on the very outskirts, a concrete fence on the left, enters into battle with the forward company of the 2nd Georgian Infantry Battalion entering the city.

Captain Semiletov's group in eight infantry fighting vehicles, having defeated the leading company of the Georgian 2nd Infantry Brigade at the brewery, walked another two blocks, reaching the outskirts. Here, in the area of ​​kindergarten 14, ours began a battle with the main forces of the 2nd Georgian Infantry Brigade, immediately losing 2 infantry fighting vehicles.

During a 7-hour battle in the Shanghai microdistrict, Russian soldiers destroyed a Georgian tank and armored personnel carrier. At the intersection, a Georgian jeep with a machine gun crawled under the tracks, and they were shot at point-blank range. By nightfall, having used up ammunition on all six infantry fighting vehicles, the group retreated. The scouts put about 30 civilians from nearby houses in the BMP, who had come running for help.

After the battle, the bodies of dead Georgians remained in the place of the notorious “ambush”.

By the end of August 9, the Georgians retreat to their strongholds and fortified positions. Behind them remain 4 mountains hanging over Tskhinvali, and fortified areas in Nikozi and surrounding Georgian villages.

At night, a powerful artillery attack on Tskhinvali followed again, and early in the morning, Georgian units repeated the assault attempt. This time they met more organized resistance, falling into the “fire bags” of the Ossetians, they were unable to advance to the center. The battle continued until the evening.

200 aircraft of the Transcaucasian Military District destroyed all airfields in Georgia, even bombed two fields of flying clubs.

August 8, 2008
(1) 9:45 2 Russian military fighters dropped about 3-5 bombs near the village of Shavshvebi, on the highway between Poti and Tbilisi and 300-500 meters from Georgian military radars (they bombed the radar, damaged antennas and a warehouse).
(2) 10:30 Russian Su-24s bombed the village of Variani in the Kareli region, 75 kilometers west of Tbilisi. Seven civilians were wounded (the rear base of the 4th brigade was bombed, the fuel depot and the ammunition depot were destroyed).
(3) 10:57 Two of the six Russian planes dropped three bombs in Gori. One of them fell near the stadium, the second near the Gorijvari slope and the third near the artillery brigade (reservists were bombed, the losses were listed as civilian).
(4) 15:05 Russian warplanes drop two bombs on the Vaziani military airport (reservists were bombed).
(5) (6) 16:30 30 Russian air bombs fell in Marneuli and Bolnisi, on the territory of military air bases, 20 km and 35 km south of Tbilisi, respectively. Two planes were destroyed on the ground. In addition, several buildings were destroyed and there were casualties.
(7) 17:00 Second bombing of the military air base in Marneuli (the runway was destroyed, 2 Su-25s were damaged, there were no more cars in the parking lot).
(8) 17:35 The military air base in Marneuli, 20 km south of Tbilisi, was bombed for the third time, resulting in 1 person killed and 4 injured. As a result of three explosions, three aircraft were destroyed (fuel tankers burned out).
(9) 18:45 The Georgian artillery brigade in Gori was bombed by five Russian aircraft.

August 9, 2008
(10) 00:12 The military port of Poti came under rocket fire, killing 4 civilians, one policeman, wounding 33 reservists, and killing Navy Corporal Pichhaya.
(11) 00:17 Bombing of the Senaki military base, 1 soldier and 5 reservists were killed. The railway station at Senaki was also bombed, killing eight.
(12) 00:20 Vaziani airfield, which is 2-3 kilometers from Tbilisi International Airport, was bombed again.
(13) 01:00 Poti, the port was hit by a Tochka-U tactical missile.
(14) 1:20 Bombing of Gatchiani in the Gardabani areas (not a clear fact, most likely a “free hunt”).
(15) 10:00 The Russian Air Force bombed the Kopitnari airfield a few kilometers from Kutaisi (a very successful bombing, half of the Georgian aircraft were destroyed).
(16) 10:22 The Russian Air Force continues to bomb Gori.
(17) 12:40 Kopitnari airfield was bombed again (finished off).
(18) 14:00 The Russian Air Force bombed the positions of the 5th brigade, including the airfield in the village of Omarishara
(19) 16:35 They bombed (no data).
(20) 22:30 The Russian Air Force bombed Chkhalta, the administrative center of Upper Abkhazia. No casualties have been reported.

August 10, 2008
(21) 5:45 A Russian bomber entered Georgian airspace from Dagestan and dropped 3 bombs on the Tbilisi aircraft plant (they bombed the plant’s runway).
(22) 7:40 Russian bombs fell in the village of Urta in the Zugdidi region (preparing for an offensive, bombing the police and reservists).
(23) 8:45 Ten Russian planes attacked Upper Abkhazia.
(24) 11:15 In the village of Shavshvebi, between Gori and Kareli, a field airfield was bombed attack helicopters, 3 MI-24s burned out.
(25) 15:00 The Russians bombed the village of Knolevi in ​​the northern region of Kareli (3rd brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces).
(26) 15:10 Russian troops and Abkhaz militias shell the Kodori Gorge.
(27) 16:05 Burn, military bases were bombed.
(28) 16:10 Russian aircraft fired at the only remaining bridge on the highway connecting the eastern and western parts of the country.
(29) 19:05 Tbilisi civil airport, radar destroyed by X-59 missile.
(30) 19:10 "Tbilaviamsheni" aviation plant, the runway was bombed.
(31) 19:35 Two bombers bombed Senaki (Western Georgia).
(32) 20:25 Two bombers bombed the Kodori Gorge (Upper Abkhazia).

August 11, 2008
(33) 00:30 A radar station in the village of Shavshvebi, west of Gori, was hit by an airstrike.
(34) 00:31 Bombed the Kodori Gorge (Upper Abkhazia).
(35) 3:05 Villages of Sharabidzhebi, Kapandichi and Makkhov near Batumi (Georgian-Turkish border). Batumi airport was bombed.
(36) 3:12 The territory of the military base in Khelvachauri (near the Georgian-Turkish border) was bombed.
(37) 3:26 Kodori Gorge (Upper Abkhazia). Artillery fire from ships.
(38) 4:30 Central command center of the Georgian Air Force, bomb attack.
(39) 4:37 A civilian radar station in the village of Yeninisi, 5 kilometers from the center of Tbilisi, was partially destroyed by Russian bombing.
(40) 5:00 Russian planes bombed the Shiraki airfield in the Dedoplistskaro region in the east of the country.
(41) 6:10 The Gori tank battalion was bombed again (36 killed).
(42) 7:15 Senaki airport, runway and Senaki military base were bombed by Russian planes (3 helicopters were destroyed).

August 12, 2008
(43) 09:30 - 10:55 The central square and market in Gori (the collection point for Georgian reservists) were bombed.

Animated map of air bombing strikes of the Russian Air Force with a point-by-point layout:

There were 4 reconnaissance groups of the fleet operating on the shore - they did not suffer any losses, they completed their combat missions. An air defense radar damaged by aviation, an S-125 air defense division, 6 ships and a coastal radar station were blown up.

Currently, the Georgian Navy has been disbanded, the surviving 2 “Vultures” have been handed over to the coast guard, and two landing ships have been decommissioned.

Ground operation

On the morning of August 10, advanced Russian units entered the city, the same BTGs of the 135th and 693rd motorized rifle regiments, a company of the Vostok battalion and paratroopers of the 76th division.

Junior Lieutenant V.V. Neff, the commander of the T-62 platoon, strategically positioned his tanks at the intersection of Moskovskaya and Chochiev streets and organized surveillance.

In the battle near school No. 12, tankers of junior lieutenant Neff burned a Georgian T-72 tank at point-blank range and shot the servants of a mortar battery in the school yard; in the battle on August 10, the tank was hit by two shots from an RPG (Vitaly Neff was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation).

By mid-day on August 10, the city and immediate surroundings were completely cleared of Georgian troops, the Georgians fled, leaving the corpses of their killed comrades on the streets

A network of battalion tactical groups began an operation to encircle the enemy. The air assault battalions of the Pskov division bypassed Tskhinvali along the “Likhvan corridor”, capturing Georgian villages.

On the night of August 11, the BTG broke through the front and reached Gori, capturing a height with a television tower and a Georgian battery of D-30 howitzers. The crews simply fled, coming under fire.

On the same day, in the central square of Gori, where reservists walked in herds, and the hotel housed the operational headquarters of the Georgians and American “advisers”, former house Pioneers, a Georgian reservist accidentally fired a grenade launcher into a fuel tank in the boiler room. The explosion was mistaken for a bombing, and panic began.

A rumor spread that the Russians were already in Gori, our aircraft were constantly flying over the city, the Georgians had no communications, the command had disappeared.

In the evening and at night, the Georgian army, huddled in a huge herd, ran along the Georgian Military Road to Tbilisi. The commander was the first to do this, “moved due to shell shock,” as he now explains. The others began to follow him.

Russian armored formations captured the 3rd and 4th brigades near Tskhinvali. The troops who found themselves surrounded abandoned their equipment and weapons and fled, dressed in civilian clothes.

The last battle took place in Zemo-Khviti. During the offensive, the column came under fire from an artillery battery, losing a tank and 2 infantry fighting vehicles.

Video of the fight.

During the attack on Gori, perhaps the most amazing battle took place here. The BMD-1, which was traveling as part of an air assault battalion, had an engine failure, and the crew and paratroopers were left on the road to wait for a repair vehicle. At that moment, the headquarters column of the 2nd Infantry Brigade was leaving the encirclement. During the battle, 11 fighters burned two Urals and damaged 5 Land Rovers.

The story of the soldiers of the 104th airborne assault rifle ("tank" is what the paratroopers call the BMD; there were about 200 Georgian soldiers):

On the morning of August 12, everything was over, President Medvedev announced the end of the “peace enforcement operation.”

Losses of the parties.

Aviation (4th Air Force and Air Defense Army) lost 4 aircraft: 1 Tu-22, 2 Su 25 and 1 Su-24 (according to some sources, another Su-24, although most likely the dispute is about the wreckage of a Georgian plane shot down over Gufta ).

Infantry
67 fighters (mostly those who were hit by artillery on August 8-9). Name list. Other sources call 71 dead and 340 wounded. According to Georgia - up to 400 killed.

Georgia

Aviation - 25 airplanes and 37 helicopters (see above).

Shot down and captured
68 T-72
25 BMP-1/2 (including Ukrainian BMP-1U Shkval)
14 BTR-70/80

65 tanks of the Georgian army and 15 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were captured (21 captured tanks were destroyed).

The number of armored vehicles damaged and burned in battles is 19 T-72 tanks.

Air defense
5 Osa missile launchers (division), 4 Buk missile launchers (Ukraine), 2 Israeli-made Spider missile launchers were captured.

The S-125 division was destroyed near Poti.

11 trucks, 4 armored personnel carriers, 2 German mine clearance vehicles, 37 guns and 96 mortars were captured.

Infantry
Killed: 180 - army, 29 - Ministry of Internal Affairs, 111 - reservists, National Guard(all on the list of civilians).

Sanitary losses: 1964 wounded.

According to Georgia: 412 dead (including 170 military personnel and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 228 civilians), 1,747 wounded and 24 missing. According to other sources, the total losses are up to 3,000 people among the army and law enforcement officers.

South Ossetia

According to various estimates, from 162 to 1692 dead.

Abkhazia - 1 dead and two wounded.

US losses

2 killed instructors who were in Georgian combat formations in Tskhinvali (data closed). According to other sources, they were captured in the village. Kekhvi.

2 prisoners.
One was captured near Tskhinvali (data closed).

The second, Winston Fraserley, was wounded and left by the Georgians on the street of Tskhinvali, introducing himself as a journalist.

A year later, it became no clearer about American losses.

And here are the most curious revelations of Israeli military advisers.

08.08 morning, the 4th Infantry enters Tskhinvali in a slender crowd, walking along Heroes Street

www.youtube.com/v/6Cme25yYBcg?version=3
there's no time for fun here

The first day of the war in Tskhinvali
www.youtube.com/v/fUQ4DHvPGnQ?version=3
the assault was repulsed, the Georgians had already retreated, around 17.00

Hit "Dots"
www.youtube.com/v/F8XN0lPmg-A?version=3

This is Gori 10.08. at the end, you can see an explosion at a tank base http://mreporter.ru/reports/2108

Morning 08.08 Ossetian filming of the city http://mreporter.ru/reports/2559

Strike on 09.08 at 14.00 by our artillery brigade on Georgian batteries on the Prissky Heights http://mreporter.ru/reports/2522

Video of the “upper town” of MS, a broken barracks in which they held the defense.
www.youtube.com/v/85nD_kevQ-0?version=3
And
www.youtube.com/v/F8hZyjZtwBg?version=3
bombing of the "Upper Town" filmed from Eredvi.

Here, fighters from a position remove the burning car park of the upper town.
www.youtube.com/v/E8tMXQJIC1o?version=3

Amateur video, driving along Heroev Street
www.youtube.com/v/iEFDrXTcR38?version=3

The corpses of killed Georgian tank crews and soldiers of the 4th Infantry Brigade.

The first day of the war, the 42nd battalion is in the “oak grove”, the 41st is bombed, then everyone runs away.
www.youtube.com/v/uXASj0U_xPA?version=3

Those who have not yet managed to escape
www.youtube.com/v/N5lUELciC0o?version=3

Video, "oak grove", corpses.
www.youtube.com/v/I8LG5aiL2Mc?version=3
All 22 were killed after the attack by attack aircraft on 08/08/08

This one was luckier, he was captured by the Ossetians
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhZberA3o6A

These, too, sit in the Ossetian KGB
www.youtube.com/v/wBE54oks2AU?version=3

After the attack on Gori
www.youtube.com/v/iP8utJiO80k?version=3

Wounded Sladkov and Khrulev
www.youtube.com/v/T5r1BBBsnjU?version=3

Marneuli airfield, rocket debris
www.youtube.com/v/OI5F8A3eDAA?version=3

A little more video:

The data is taken mainly from here, partly from Wikipedia and the rest of the Internet.

1.7k (90 per week)

The Russian military operation, which took place from August 8 to August 12, 2008, was later called the “five-day war.” The 2008 war in Georgia was a response to Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia and was of a peacekeeping nature. This was the first war for modern Russia to take place outside its borders.

The conflict in South Ossetia began on the night of August 7-8, after a powerful artillery shelling of Tskhinvali by the Georgian army. This began the conflict between Georgia and Russia. As soon as the Georgian artillery launched an unprovoked artillery strike, Russian troops located on the border and territory of South Ossetia took active actions that lasted 5 days.

Rising tensions in early 2008

Relations between Georgia and South Ossetia deteriorated back in the late 1980s, and the first bloody clashes between the self-proclaimed republic, which was South Ossetia, and Georgia took place back in 1991-1992. Then Georgia managed to establish a complete economic blockade of the self-proclaimed republic, which caused mass deaths of elderly people and children in the winter months. After this conflict, numerous refugees appeared, rushing to Russian territory, who were fired upon by the Georgian military along the way.

In 2004, there was a new escalation of the conflict. An active campaign began in Georgia, the goal of which was to restore the integrity of the country, and South Ossetia was considered their ancestral territory. This year, Georgian troops entered the territory of South Ossetia, who then began systematic shelling of local cities and villages. Only Russian intervention saved the young republic from complete capture by Georgia, but this cost it aggravation of relations with Georgia.

By 2008, tensions in this region had escalated to the maximum, which prompted Russia to lift the quota of flank restrictions on the deployment of armed forces in the North Caucasus. Some units of the 7th Airborne Division appeared on the territory of Abkhazia already in April 2008, after which they remained near the border with Georgia.

At the end of May, Russian railway troops in the amount of 400 people also arrived in Abkhazia. Their appearance caused real hysteria among the Georgian authorities; they began to trumpet the whole world that Russia was preparing to annex Georgia, under the guise of providing assistance to South Ossetia.

In the second half of July, joint exercises between Georgian and US troops took place; military experts saw them as a practice for attacking and seizing the territory of South Ossetia. At the same time, the Russian side conducted the Caucasus-2008 exercises, in which various army and security units participated. At the same time, railway units completely restored railway communication within Abkhazia.

Since the end of July, raids and shootings began to systematically occur on the territory of South Ossetia, although the Georgian side resolutely disowned them. Feeling instability in the region, local residents began to actively leave it. Since the obvious target of the raids was Tskhinvali, the then Prime Minister of South Ossetia, Yuri Morozov, ordered the mass evacuation of residents of the capital of the republic.
In early August, the concentration of Georgian military formations near South Ossetia reached a critical point.

Fighting August 7-10

At 00:06 on August 8, Georgian troops launched a massive artillery preparation, the target of which was Tskhinvali and the areas adjacent to the capital of the republic. A few hours later, the assault on the capital by Georgian infantry and armored vehicles began. The Georgian side called the official reason for this attack on Tskhinvali a violation of the ceasefire by South Ossetia, and the latter, in turn, brought forward similar accusations against the Georgian side.

During the night of August 8, Tskhinvali was subjected to massive shelling from the Grad rocket launcher, and at half past four in the morning Georgian tanks launched an attack on the city. The result of this operation was the encirclement of the capital of South Ossetia and the capture of six South Ossetian villages by the Georgian military.

As the official Georgian media hastened to inform, by 21:00 the entire territory of South Ossetia was under the control of the Georgian army, with the exception of the settlement of Java. By this time, 7,000 volunteers had left North Ossetia to help South Ossetia, and another 3,000 were awaiting dispatch, gathered at the headquarters of Vladikavkaz. By the end of the day, Russian troops were at the western outskirts of Tskhinvali.

On August 9, while the Georgian side was shelling Ossetian and Russian positions, Russian aviation carried out precise selective bombing of several strategic and military targets in Georgia, and artillery suppressed Georgian firing points located near Tskhinvali with their fire. At the same time, Russian warships began patrolling Georgian territorial waters.

The fighting reached its peak on August 10. Georgian troops systematically fired at South Ossetian settlements and combat positions of Ossetian and Russian troops. In the evening, Russian aviation carried out a powerful airstrike on a military airfield located on the outskirts of Tbilisi.

In a short time, the Russian side increased its presence in South Ossetia to four regiments; in addition to them, significant artillery and aviation forces took part in the operation. Officially, approximately 10,000 Russian troops took part in this conflict. To counter them, the Georgian command had to urgently transfer an infantry brigade stationed in Iraq.

On the same day, August 10, the troops of Abkhazia decided to take advantage of the current situation and headed towards the Kodori Gorge. Already in the middle of the same day, their troops found themselves in positions on the Inguri River. All these events greatly worried the Georgian government, which hastened to hand over a note to the Russian ambassador, which stated that the Georgian side would cease all military activity in South Ossetia. But throughout the next night, shelling from the Georgian side continued by inertia.

Initially, it was believed that the war was fought between Georgian troops and Ossetian separatists, the rear of which was strengthened by “Russian peacekeeping forces”. But already on August 8, 2008, after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin condemned Georgia’s “aggressive actions” and indicated that these actions should not be left unanswered, Russia officially joined the war and announced the introduction of its own military units into the region , and openly bombed both the territories of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and other neutral territories of Georgia, which, in fact, had nothing to do with the Tskhinvali region. On August 9, Russia, together with Abkhazia, opened a second front to “defend South Ossetia,” attacked the Kodori Gorge, then entered Western Georgia and settled in other territories of the country. Despite repeated proposals from the Georgian side, a ceasefire agreement was reached only through the mediation of President Nicolas Sarkozy and other European countries on August 12. The agreement was signed in Tbilisi on August 15, and in Moscow on August 16. On August 12, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev already ordered a ceasefire, but the bombing and chaos that the Russian military caused on Georgian territory did not stop until the end of August 2008. Only a few days later, after the signing of the agreement, Russia began to withdraw its troops from the territory of Samegrelo and Shida Kartli, and created the so-called. buffer zones in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but left observation posts in Poti, Senaki and Perevi. ...As a result of the Russian-Georgian war, 188 civilians died. 168 military personnel, 16 police officers, 3 journalists... ...As a result of hostilities, 1,747 citizens were wounded, among them 973 military personnel, 547 civilians and 227 police officers... ...10 military and 14 police officers are considered missing... On August 26, Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia, etc. .n. South Ossetia. And the start of the war was preceded by provocations from the Ossetian side...

August 1, 2008 At dawn, in the Tskhinvali region, on the Eredvi-Kheiti bypass route, an intense firefight broke out between units of the Georgian armed forces and the armed forces of the separatist South Ossetia. 6 people were killed and 21 were injured.

August 2, 2008 Throughout the night, Ossetian separatists shelled Georgian villages. There are victims. The Georgian authorities call on the South Ossetian side to immediately cease fire. Against this background, the separatist authorities began withdrawing from Tskhinvali

region in North Ossetia women and children. Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili met with the commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces, Marat Kulakhmetov. Yakobashvili demanded a meeting with the leaders of the Ossetian separatist regime, but the Ossetian side refused the meeting.

August 3, 2008 Russian authorities have given permission for people from South Ossetia to enter the country. On the same day and 20 buses with refugees left the region. Georgia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry congratulated Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II on Angel's Day. The congratulatory letter was delivered to the Patriarch of All Georgia by the Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko. A rally was held in Vladikavkaz in support of the so-called. South Ossetia. At this time, Abkhaz separatists decide to stop teaching children in the Georgian language in the Gali region of Abkhazia.

August 4, 2008 Five battalions of the 58th Russian Army are located near the Rokka tunnel from North Ossetia. The Abkhaz side refused to participate in the meeting with the group of countries friends of the UN. The meeting was supposed to take place on August 15 in Berlin. For his part, the leader of the Ossetian separatists Eduard Kokoity stated that he “ will not start negotiations with Georgia without Russia.” T.N. Minister of Internal Affairs of the separatist regime Mikhail Mindzaev stated that Tskhinvali is ready to open fire. The position of the Georgian side was voiced by State Minister Temur Yakobashvili, who stated that “Georgia does not intend to get involved in hostilities” and again called on the Tskhinvali regime for negotiations. However, this proposal again remained unanswered. The Russian battalion located in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict has been transferred to full combat readiness. Kokoity said from Tskhinvali that South Ossetia is ready to destroy Georgia. At the same time, in Vladikavkaz Cossacks declared their readiness to come to the aid of South Ossetia. Cossack ataman Viktor Vodolatsky sent an appeal to Kokoity, in which he indicated that the Cossacks were in full readiness for battle.

August 5, 2008 Ossetian s Separatists continue shelling Georgian villages. In turn, on the morning of August 5 the Abkhaz side announced its readiness to open a second front.. Volunteers are sent from the southern part of Russia to Tskhinvali. The foreign ministries of various states are calling on Georgia and the so-called. South Ossetia to resolve the conflict peacefully. The OSCE issued a statement blaming the separatists for aggravating the situation. Information has spread that on August 7, Temur Yakobashvili will go to Tskhinvali for negotiations.

August 6, 2008 Shelling of Georgian villages continues. According to Georgia, the Georgian side lost an armored personnel carrier, as a result of which three Georgian peacekeepers were wounded. On the same day, as a result of the shootings, 4 people were killed, after which the Georgian side resumed return fire. British Ambassador Denis Keefe went to Tskhinvali and held negotiations with Eduard Kokoity. Residents are starting to leave Tskhinvali. The Georgian side deployed tanks and artillery to the administrative border. The villages of Nuli and Avnevi were shelled by separatist militias. There are victims. The Russian Foreign Ministry held an emergency meeting, as a result of which on the night of August 6, Yuri Popov was sent to Tbilisi “to familiarize himself with the situation.” Popov said that the meeting between Yakobashvili and Chochiev will be held with the assistance of the Russian side. On the same day, Popov said that “Russia will not stand aside in the event of violent developments in the Tskhinvali region.” The Ossetian side postponed the meeting with the Georgian side scheduled for August 7 to August 9

August 7, 2008 Shelling of Georgian villages takes on more acute forms. On the morning of July 7, there was a continuous bombing of the Georgian villages of Eredvi, Prisi, Dvani and Nuli, located in the Pron Gorge. The Georgian side does not return fire. However, after the separatists opened fire from large-caliber 12 mm weapons, the Georgian side returned fire. The Georgian side once again stated that “it does not intend to introduce emergency measures in the conflict zone and is ready for dialogue.” The President of Georgia made an emergency appeal and stated that the Georgian side is ready for maximum restraint. The Georgian Foreign Ministry called on Russia to influence the separatists so that they stop bombing civilians. At the same time, Bagapsh convened an emergency closed meeting of the so-called. Security Council of Abkhazia. Yuri Popov and Temur Yakobashvili were unable to reach an agreement to hold negotiations in Tskhinvali. After the meeting, Yakobashvili headed to the conflict zone. Yuri Popov also went to the conflict zone to meet with Kokoity and the commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces, Marat Kulakhmetov. Shelling of Georgian posts and civilians continues. Shelling of the small Liakhvi Gorge is ongoing continuously. The separatists tried to occupy the Sarabuk Heights to no avail. Yakobashvili met with Marat Kulakhmetov at the peacekeepers' headquarters in Tskhinvali and returned to Tbilisi. Details of the meeting were not disclosed. On August 7, according to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1 person died 0 military personnel. By the end of the day, the President of Georgia announced a ceasefire on the Georgian side. “In the conflict zone there is a sniper war against village residents. At this moment, there is intense fire from artillery, tanks, and other artillery systems that are illegally located in the conflict zone,” Mikheil Saakashvili said during a live television address at 19:30. He called on the parties to negotiate “in any format” and stated that the condition that South Ossetia receive full autonomy remains in force. In addition, he declared an amnesty for the separatists, and also called on the international community to mediate in negotiations between the parties. IN live, Saakashvili once again invited the Russian Federation to play the role of mediator in the conflict. The Ossetian side interrupted the fire. In the evening of the same day, Yuri Popov announced that a meeting between Temur Yakobashvili and Boris Chochiev would take place on August 8. After this, Marat Kulakhmetov said that Tbilisi and Tskhinvali agreed on a ceasefire before holding a bilateral meeting. Saakashvili begins telephone conversations with leaders of other states. In the evening, the Ossetian side violated the ceasefire agreement. The attack on the village of Tamarasheni began. There are victims. At 23:30, the Georgian side launched a retaliatory military operation, which, according to Kulakhmetov, aimed at “establishing constitutional order” in the region. Before the start of hostilities on the Georgian side, the 58th Army and Combat vehicles, through the Roki tunnel, entered the territory of the Tskhinvali region. The Russian side began to introduce tanks

August 8, 2008 The Ossetian side does not cease fire. There are civilian casualties. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was at the opening of the Olympics in Beijing, condemned “aggressive actions” of Georgia, and stated that Russia will not leave these actions unanswered. At 09:30, President Medvedev held an urgent meeting with members of the Russian government regarding the action plan in the conflict zone. Military equipment and armed persons from Russia are located on the territory of Georgia. The Georgian government calls on the separatists to stop hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table. At 11:40, by order of Saakashvili, the mobilization of Georgia's reserve armed forces began. Government of Georgia: “Due to the current situation, for the safety of the civilian population and to stop the attack, Georgian authorities are forced to take adequate measures» Georgian units took up positions in the villages of Muguti and Didmukha. Georgian units occupied Dmenisi. Georgian units are on the outskirts of Tskhinvali. Washington's first statement: Official representative US State Department Gonzalo Gallegos said that Washington calls on “Russia to influence the separatists so that they cease fire.” Intense fighting is taking place near the village of Tkviavi. Despite the extremely aggravated situation, the Georgian side once again declares its readiness for negotiations. Georgian troops control eight villages in the conflict zone - Dmenisi, Muguti, Didmukha, Sarabuki, Upper Nikozi, Atotsi and Upper and Lower Okana. In fact, Georgian flags fly on all strategic approaches to Tskhinvali. Georgian units entered Tskhinvali. At this time, Kokoity and his entourage are at the emergency headquarters in the Dzhava region. Russian aircraft begin to bomb Georgian cities. The Georgian Embassy in Russia was cordoned off by the so-called. Riot police. The embassy continues to work. The Georgian armed forces were able to push back the troops of the Russian 58th Army, which attempted to advance into the Java region. 10 mercenary militants surrendered to Georgian troops. The Georgian side controls 70% of the region. The Georgian side announces a moratorium on the shooting from 15:00 to 18:00 and offers the civilian, and not only the civilian population, a “peaceful corridor” for crossing to Gori and security guarantees. A Russian military aircraft dropped two bombs on a military base in Vaziani. Russian military aircraft dropped bombs on military airfields in Vaziani and Marneuli. Units of the 58th Russian Army are on the outskirts of Tskhinvali. The President of Georgia briefed world leaders on the current situation. The Parliament of Georgia has switched to emergency mode of operation. The Georgian side complies with the terms of the moratorium and does not open fire. The Russian Ministry of Transport has stopped air traffic with Georgia since 00:00. Russian aviation bombed the air base in Marneuli three times. There are victims. In fact, the presidents of all the leading countries of the world and international organizations, make statements in support of Georgia, and call on Russia for a ceasefire. Russian military equipment is located in Jawi. They are trying to break through the encirclement of the Georgian armed forces. The Troika of the European Union is discussing the situation in Georgia.

August 9, 2008 Russian military aircraft dropped bombs on the military base in Senaki and the port of Poti. There are victims. 13 Georgian soldiers were killed. 10 injured. Two Russian attack aircraft dropped bombs on Georgian artillery near Gori. 5 people died when a bomb fell on a residential building in the city of Gori. Units of the 76th Airborne Division from Pskov enter Tskhinvali. According to the Georgian side, 10 Russian attack aircraft were shot down. At 11:10, the President of Georgia declared martial law in the country for a period of 15 days. The Georgian parliament supported the president's order with 90 votes. At 12:30 landed in Tskhinvali Russian parachute landing. At 13:41 according to information Russian media, the Kodori Gorge was bombed. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekūnas travels to the Gori region together with the Georgian Foreign Minister . According to Vaitiekūnas, the extent of the destruction and casualties is shocking.. In connection with the current situation, the Voice of America is doubling its broadcasting to Georgia. The UN Security Council was unable to make a decision on the current situation. Again Poti was bombed. A decision was made to call up thousands of Georgian troops from Iraq. The Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia calls on the world community to provide assistance in a peaceful resolution of the situation in Georgia. Russian aviation is carrying out airstrikes on all villages of the Liakhvi Gorge. There are victims. The population of the gorge is asking for help. Representatives of various international missions come to Georgia. The Georgian Foreign Ministry states that Russian aggression is carried out under the guise of the so-called. " humanitarian aid" and "peace enforcement operations." US President George W. Bush calls on Russia to stop hostilities. The fighting in Tskhinvali is intensifying. Russian aircraft dropped bombs on the villages of Tsedisi and Bari in the Oni region. There are casualties and wounded. Heads of other states declare support for sovereignty and territorial integrity Georgia. According to the Ministry of Health, 55 people died. Among them are 15 civilians and 40 military personnel. Russia dropped bombs on the Georgian part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Representatives of the Red Cross cannot enter the conflict zone to provide assistance to the wounded. As a result of massive bombings from the Russian side, entry into Tskhinvali becomes dangerous. Russian aircraft dropped bombs on villages in Upper Abkhazia: Omarishi, Sakeni, Kvebchera and Chkhalta. The Georgian side attacked the Roki tunnel. On August 9, according to official information, Georgian forces controlled Tskhinvali and its environs.

August 10, 2008 at 6:20 o'clock Georgia demanded a ceasefire and invited Russia to negotiate. Russia confirmed that it accepts this proposal. French President Nicolas Sarkozy developed a plan to resolve the situation in South Ossetia and proposed it to the Russian side. Vladimir Putin interrupted his visit to the Olympics in Beijing and came to North Ossetia. From Vladikavkaz, Putin demanded the withdrawal of Georgian troops from Tskhinvali. Putin stated that Georgia's actions are criminal, and Russia's actions are completely logical. Georgian units are in complete control of the situation in Tskhinvali and adjacent strategic heights. Russian aviation and artillery begin mass shelling of Tskhinvali. Secretary of the Security Council of Georgia Alexander Lomaya, during an emergency briefing, confirmed that as a result of an unprecedented attack by Russian troops, the Georgian military retreated beyond Tskhinvali. The Georgian government called on the Abkhaz people not to succumb to Russian provocations. The French Foreign Minister brought Sarkozy's plan to stabilize the situation in South Ossetia to Tbilisi. Sergei Bagapsh announced general mobilization. The President of Georgia stated that the Russian naval fleet is located in Abkhazia. In the same day, Russian aviation struck international airport Tbilisi. The Russian department called this message from the Georgian side “another disinformation.” At 22:00 Georgia agreed to the entry of Russian peacekeepers into Zugdidi. World leaders called on Russia to cease fire. IN European countries, protests are taking place in front of Russian embassies. Russian aircraft again attacked Gori and its environs. By order of the President of Georgia, the armed forces ceased fire in the Tskhinvali region. Russian aviation strikes an aircraft plant in Tbilisi. According to official data, 94 people were killed, including 47 civilians and 47 military personnel. Leaders of world powers make statements in support of Georgia.

August 11, 2008 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said that Saakashvili “must leave.” The leader and top officials of world powers are coming to Tbilisi. Russian aviation again struck Upper Abkhazia. Artillery fire was opened. Russian aviation carried out strikes on the suburbs of Tbilisi. Russian forces occupied the Georgian military base in Senaki. According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Zugdidi police are also under the control of the Russian military. General Sergei Chaban from Abkhazia delivered an ultimatum to the Georgian side and demanded that they surrender their weapons. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed information about transfer of special forces "West" and "East" from Chechnya. Postal communication between Georgia and Russia has been interrupted. The Georgian side is waiting to no avail for a response from the Russian side regarding the creation of a humanitarian corridor. Bernard Kouchner arrived in Georgia. Arrests of Georgian citizens begin in Russia. Over the course of two days, 7 ethnic Georgians were killed in Moscow and 20 went missing. The President of Georgia and European diplomats are urgently taken out of Gori. Vladimir Putin said that Russia will take its mission to its logical conclusion. Russian aviation struck the village of Tkviavi. The village of Khurcha was occupied by Abkhaz and Russian units. Russian aircraft bomb the military base and airport of Senaki. The President of Georgia called on the population to gather “tomorrow, at 15:00 in front of the parliament building”

August 12, 2008 The Russian side is creating a 50-kilometer “buffer zone” around the port of Poti. The US President again calls on Russia to take steps to overcome the crisis. Heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs " big seven“demand from Russia an unconditional ceasefire. Russian occupation forces have launched a special operation in Upper Abkhazia. Russian aircraft bomb the village of Tortiza in the Gori region. The population of the Kodori Gorge has been completely withdrawn. Russian aviation struck an aviation radar on the Tbilisi Sea. Sergei Lavrov openly stated the need to change the Georgian authorities. The President of Russia announced the completion of the operation " to force Georgia to peace» The Georgian side did not receive official information from Russia about the ceasefire. Six people died as a result of the bombing of Gori. Russian troops destroyed the infrastructure of the military base in Senaki. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II appealed to the Russian President to cease fire and begin peace negotiations. Russian military aviation continues to bomb Georgian territories. The cities of Gori, Khashuri, Agara and Kaspi, as well as the Svaneti region, were bombed. The President of Georgia told the population who had gathered in front of parliament that Georgia was declaring Russian troops as occupation forces, and Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region as occupied territories. The Russian military occupied the peacekeepers' headquarters in Zugdidi and other administrative buildings. The presidents of France and Russia developed a 6-point plan to overcome the situation. Georgia filed a lawsuit in the Hague Court “Georgia v. Russia”. Georgia accused Russia of ethnic cleansing. Despite Medvedev's decision, Russian aircraft continue to bomb Georgian villages. The President of France came from Moscow to Tbilisi. The presidents of Estonia, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as the prime minister of Latvia, are in Georgia. According to the latest data, 175 people died. The NATO Secretary General stated that, despite the conflict, Georgia remains a candidate country for NATO membership. In a personal conversation with the President of France Vladimir Putin said he was going to “hang Saakashvili by the balls”».

August 13, 2008 a Three days of mourning have been declared in Georgia. Gori is controlled by Russian troops who are engaged in looting. The Russian occupiers left Poti. Russian troops blocked highway near Gori. Russia violated the ceasefire agreement and is bombing Gori again. Russian tanks that were heading towards Tbilisi turned away in Uplistsikhe. The Russian military is cracking down on civilians in Gori.

August 14, 2008 and the Russian occupiers left the Mestia region. There are 28 thousand refugees from the Tskhinvali region in Tbilisi.

August 15, 2008 Russian troops blocked the road bridge on the Tskhenistskali River. The Patriarch of Georgia entered Gori. Condoleezza Rice arrived in Tbilisi. The President of Georgia signed a ceasefire agreement. Russian helicopters dropped bombs on A Borjomi Nature Reserve and Tsemi.

August 16, 2008 Protests against Russia are taking place in many cities around the world. The Russian occupiers brought 50 tanks from Gali to Zugdidi. Russian troops still remain in Gori. Occupation forces mined and blew up the railway bridge in Kaspi. Dmitry Medvedev signed a ceasefire agreement. Russian helicopters dropped bombs in the Surami forest.

August 17, 2008 American Senator Biden arrived in Tbilisi. Angela Merkel arrived in Tbilisi. Medvedev promised Sarkozy that tomorrow he would begin to withdraw troops from Georgia.

August 18, 2008 Russian troops stormed the television tower in Gori and the service personnel were shot. Russian troops burned the patriots' camp in Ganmukhuri.

August 19, 2008 Senator Joe Biden asked Congress to allocate a billion dollars to Georgia. The date for the withdrawal of Russian occupation forces has again been postponed by one day. 215 people died. Injured - 1,469 people. 70 soldiers are missing. Medvedev promised to withdraw troops on August 22 Occupiers blew up a military base in Osiauri.

On August 20, 2008, Russian occupiers occupied the village of Perevi, Sachkhere district. Russian helicopters dropped bombs in the Kiketi forest in the suburbs of Tbilisi.

On August 21, 2008, the President of Romania arrived in Georgia. Negotiations began on the exchange of prisoners. Human Rights Watch accused Russia of using prohibited weapons.

On August 22, 2008, Russian troops began to withdraw from Khashuri and Gori. According to preliminary information 500 hectares of unique forest areas were destroyed. Russia has placed 18 checkpoints on the Inguri.

August 23, 2008 Units of the occupation forces left the base in Senaki. Eduard Kokoity appealed to Russia with a request to recognize the independence of the so-called. South Ossetia.

August 24, 2008 Russian occupiers remain in the village of Perevi, Sachkhere district. In the village of Mandshi, Senaki region, the occupiers dug trenches.

August 25, 2008 and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation recommended Medvedev to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Russian Duma supported the idea of ​​recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. A new stage in the exchange of prisoners of war began in Gori.

August 26, 2008 Russian occupiers still remain in Perevi, on the Cross Pass. Two Russian checkpoints remain open in Senaki. Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing the independence of the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia called on other countries to follow its example. Medvedev did not take into account the call of the international community not to accept for consideration the recommendations of the Federation Council and the Russian Duma on the recognition of separatist regions as independent states.