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Russo-Georgian War

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2008 War in South Ossetia
Part of Ossetian-Georgian conflict

Location of South Ossetia within Georgia (upper left box shows map of Georgia). Striped area shows the territory controlled by Georgia prior to the conflict.
Date1 August 2008[3] – present
Location
Georgia
Status Conflict ongoing
Belligerents

South Ossetia South Ossetia
Russia Russia

Volunteers from Russia[1] and Abkhazia[2]		 Georgia (country) Georgia
Commanders and leaders
South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity
Russia Dmitry Medvedev
Russia Marat Kulakhmetov		 Georgia (country) Mikheil Saakashvili
Georgia (country) Davit Kezerashvili
Georgia (country) Zaza Gogava
Strength
South Ossetia Possibly 3,000[4]
Russia Unknown
More than 1,000 volunteers according to Russia[1][2]		 Georgia (country) Unknown
Casualties and losses
South Ossetia Unknown
Russia 12 dead and 50 wounded claimed by August 8[1]		 Georgia (country) Up to 30 casualties claimed by August 8[1]
Unknown number of civilian victims; the South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity claims more than 1,400 killed.

Template:Georgia-Russia

The 2008 War in South Ossetia started in August 2008 after days of heavy fighting in the region. On 7 August, Georgian troops launched a military operation to take the town of Tskhinvali, the capital of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia (a breakaway region of Georgia). Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has actively promoted the "independence" of so-called breakaway regions - Abhazia and Osetia trying to disrupt the democratic state of Georgia. Restoring the Russian empire within the borders of the former Soviet Union is the main foreign policy objective of the current regime.Opening[5] On 8 August, Russia responded by moving its troops across the border, reportedly bringing tanks and artillery into Tskhinvali, according to Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, to defend its civilians, most of whom hold Russian citizenship.[6] Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili now says his country is defending itself from "Russian aggression" and that Russian forces are bombing its civilian population.[7]

Background

Main article: Georgian-Ossetian conflict

The region broke away from Georgia in the 1991–1992 war. A peacekeeping force with 500 troops each from Russia, North Ossetia-Alania (part of Russia) and Georgia monitored a 1992 truce. Today, many of the residents of South Ossetia are Russian citizens holding Russian passports.[8]

Timeline

August 1-7: Escalation of hostilities

Beginning late on August 1, intense fighting began between Georgian troops and paramilitary soldiers of South Ossetia causing the deaths of six people and the injuries of twenty-one others. Both sides accused the other of commencing the fighting.[9] On August 3, the Russian government allowed South Ossetians to begin evacuation into Russia, which resulted in twenty bus-loads of refugees leaving the region on the first day.[10]

Sporadic fighting continued throughout the next several days. On August 6, Georgia acknowledged it lost an armoured personnel carrier.[11] Four people were killed that night and Georgia resumed shelling at daybreak. Residents once again began evacuating areas of South Ossetia and Georgia moved tanks, artillery, and troops to the border.[12] [13] The Georgian Interior Ministry reported up to ten Georgian soldiers died in the clashes throughout August 7.[14]

“A sniper war is ongoing against residents of the villages in the South Ossetian conflict zone and as I speak now intensive fire is ongoing from artillery, from tanks, from self-propelled artillery systems – which have been brought in the conflict zone illegally – and from other types of weaponry, including mortars and grenade launchers,” Saakashvili said in a live televised address made at 19:10 local time.[15] However, by the day's end, Saakashvili ordered a unilateral ceasefire.

August 7-8: Georgian Offensive

The ceasefire was broken hours later and Georgia began an operation into South Ossetia commanded by Mamuka Kurashvili. Kurashvili stated that the purpose of the operation was to restore constitutional order in the region.[5] This caused an increased number of refugees to cross into Russia.[16][17] Interfax quoted South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity as saying his forces were confronting Georgians in the outskirts of the regional capital, Tskhinvali, and that fierce fighting was under way.[5] At 00:53 on August 8, Georgian forces began shelling the city, which alledgedly included the route along which refugees were being moved.[18] As the day progressed, Russian media reported that at least fifteen civilians had been killed in Tskhinvali.[14] At 04:45, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Temuri Yakobashvili announced that Tskhinvali was nearly surrounded, and that Georgia controlled two-thirds of South Ossetia's territory.[19] According to the North Ossetian president Taimuraz Mamsurov, a number of Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft of the Georgian Air Force attacked what he described to be a humanitarian aid convoy en route from Vladikavkaz.[20] Mamsurov, who had accompanied the convoy and witnessed the attack, was unharmed. Earlier, he told the Interfax news agency that hundreds of armed volunteers from North Ossetia were heading to the Tskhinvali area.[21] Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh said that volunteers from Abkhazia were on the way to help the South Ossetians.[22] It was later announced that an unspecified number of Abkhazian army units had advanced to the border of the arms limitation zone between Abkhazia and Georgia.[23]

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session in New York City and released a statement to express "serious concerns at the escalation of violence."[24] The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported 1,100 refugees arrived in North Ossetia by bus to escape the violence.[25]

August 8: Russian Involvement

On the morning of August 8, Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, who was in Beijing attending the 2008 Summer Olympics, condemned the "aggressive actions" by Georgia and said that Russia would be compelled to retaliate.[26] By 09:30, Medvedev convened an emergency session of government officials to consider Russia’s options regarding the conflict.[27]

A half hour later, Georgian sources reported that the three Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft flew into the Georgian airspace and dropped two bombs close to a police station near the town of Kareli, which borders South Ossetia.[28] The source also reported that the nearby city of Gori suffered a brief Russian air strike, with no casualties.[29] Russian authorities rejected these reports,[8] which have however been independently confirmed.[30]

By 11:40, Saakashvili mobilized the Georgian reserve troops amid what he referred to as "a large-scale military aggression" by Russia and called for Russia to stop "bombardment of the Georgian towns".[31] Contending a Georgian report, the Russian Ministry of Defence denied that a Russian fighter plane had been shot down above Georgian territory, calling it "informational provocation".[32] A spokesman for the Russian forces in South Ossetia said that Georgian shells directly hit barracks in Tskhinvali, killing several Russian soldiers.[8]

Georgia reported that they offered a three-hour ceasefire starting 15:00 local time (11:00 UTC), to let civilians leave the besieged capital of Tskhinvali.[33] However, at 10:29 UTC, Marat Kulakhmetov, commander of the Russian forces in the region, said that "these are further lies from the Georgian side. No corridor for civilians has been opened."[34]

A column of Russian tanks from the 58th Army began moving to Tskhinvali to help support Russian forces in the area.[35] Saakashvili said that the Russian column consisted of 150 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other equipment.[6][36]

Russian media reported that the Georgian army was falling back from Tskhinvali and Russian Su-24 bombers and Su-27 fighters were in complete control of the airspace above Tskhinvali.[37][38] Kulakhmetov said that as a result of heavy bombardment, Tskhinvali is almost totally destroyed. Gas pipes, a hospital, and other objects of infrastructure were hit. According to France Press, at 12:00 UTC the National Security Council of Georgia (through a statement of Council Secretary Alexander Lomaia) declared that if messages about Russian tanks in South Ossetia will be confirmed, Georgia will declare war on Russia.[39] Russian tanks entered Tskhinvali shortly after and by nightful, Russian and South Ossentian forces controlled a large part of the city.[40] and later by CNN.[41]

The Georgian Interior Ministry said that a Russian fighter dropped two bombs on a military base in Vaziani, (near Tbilisi).[42] Russian fighters also bombed a military airfield in Marneuli, near Tbilisi.[43] At least four Georgian soldiers were reported to have been killed and another five wounded in the air strike in Marneuli.[44] The bombing of Vaziani was accomplished by fighters taking off from the Russian base in Gumru, Armenia, in violation of a treaty between Georgia and Armenia.[45]

Saakashvili initially said that Georgia was pulling its 2,000-strong troops from Iraq.[46] The head of Georgia's Security Council, Kakha Lomaia, later clarified that only 1,000 troops were being redeployed, telling Reuters, "We have already communicated to our American friends that we are going to withdraw half our contingent of soldiers in Iraq within days because we are under Russian aggression." [47]


9 August

At midnight, Russia will cut all air links to Georgia.[48]

Russian media reported that heavy gunfire between Russian and Georgian troops was resumed during the night. [49] [50]

Since August 9 Georgia banned all Russian TV channels from broadcasting due to their alleged misinformation. [51]

The secretary of Georgia's Security Council Kakha Lomaia told Reuters that Saakashvili will declare martial law. He also said, "Russia has bombed the (Black Sea) port of Poti and the military base at Senaki. We think Russia has started to bomb civil and economic infrastructure."[52]

Humanitarian impact

International Red Cross urged the combatant sides to make a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the wounded and civilians from Tskhinvali.[53][54] The main city hospital is reported to be non-functional, and ambulances can't reach the wounded.[55] According to South Ossetia, Georgia continues to bomb the hospital. 22 wounded remain in the building, which has only two stories left.[56]

A UN refugee agency said that thousands of refugees are leaving South Ossetia, mostly for North Ossetia.[57]

Eduard Kokoity was reported as saying that the death toll has risen to 1,400.[58]

Cyberattacks

South Ossetian officials stated that two Ossetian news media sites were hacked. Dmitry Medoev, the South Ossetian secessionist envoy in Moscow, claimed that Georgia was trying to cover up reports of deaths.[59]

Georgian National Bank website was defaced and replaced with a gallery of known dictators of 20th century with Saakashvili added amongst them. Georgian newsportals were under DDos attacks and reportedly the site of defense ministry was hacked as well. The attack is similar to 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and carried out by same techniques.[60]

Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website was also defaced and replaced with a collage of Saakashvili and Adolf Hitler photos.

Reactions

Russia

  • Russia Russia - After the GMT 4:00 8 August UN Security Council meeting, Boris Malakhov, spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that he hoped it was still possible to prevent "mass bloodshed", adding, "It now became clear why the Georgian side was refraining under various pretexts from signing a legally binding document on non-use of force"[61] Russian envoy Yuri Popov said Georgia's military operation showed it could not be trusted and NATO should reconsider its plans to grant membership to Georgia. Popov said, "Georgia's step is absolutely incomprehensible and shows that the Georgian leadership has zero credit of trust." He called Georgia's behavior treacherous."[62] At 07:32 on 8 August, Vladimir Putin, in Beijing attending the 2008 Summer Olympics, condemned the "aggressive actions" by Georgia and said that Russia would be compelled to retaliate.[63] Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, stated: "The actions of the Georgian side led to deaths - among them are Russian peacekeepers. The situation reached the point that Georgian peacekeepers have been shooting at Russian peacekeepers. Now women, children and old people are dying in South Ossetia - most of them are citizens of the Russian Federation. According to the constitution, I, as the President of the Russian Federation, must protect lives and the dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are. Those responsible for the deaths of our citizens will be punished.[64][65] (many residents of South Ossetia are in fact Russian citizens)[8][66] In a letter to all NATO members, Russian Special Envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin stated that Georgia had "got a permit to start a military operation" after the 2008 Bucharest summit and warned against continued support of Georgia and its president.[67]

International organizations

  • European Union European Union - On August 9, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, who current holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, announced with American President George W. Bush that the EU and the USA will send a joint delegation to try and negotiate a cease fire. [68]
  • NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO's official website posted the following statement from the NATO Secretary General: "The NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, is seriously concerned about the events that are taking place in the Georgian region of South Ossetia and said that the Alliance is closely following the situation. The Secretary General calls on all sides for an immediate end of the armed clashes and direct talks between the parties" [69]
  • Red Cross Red Cross International - The International Red Cross urged the combatant sides to make a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the wounded and civilians from Tskhinvali.[70][71]
  • United Nations United Nations - On August 7, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced grave concern over the escalation of violence and urged all parties to the conflict to "refrain from any actions that might jeopardize the situation further and pose threat to stability in the region".[72] On August 8 at GMT 4 a.m. an emergency session of the UN Security Council was held to discuss the situation. The session was requested by Russia.[61] The session failed to reach an agreement that would have called on Georgia and the separatists to immediately halt all fighting, but expressed its concern over the renewed conflict.[73]

States

  • Armenia Armenia - The Armenian Foreign Ministry said official Yerevan is closely monitoring the situation and urging the conflicting parties to call a halt to military operations.. “We are certainly concerned about the situation and hope that a solution will be found very quickly,” Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian told RFE/RL. “We hope that the parties will make maximum efforts to quickly stop bloodshed and find peaceful solutions to contentious issues,” he said. [74]
  • Azerbaijan Azerbaijan - A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Khazar Ibrahim, said that the Georgian actions were in accord with international law and that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia.[75]
  • China China - China called for worldwide truce coinciding with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[8]
  • Estonia Estonia - The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on August 8th calling for an immediate stop to the hostilities to avoid further casualties, and starting peaceful negotiations. The statement suggests that the basis for these negotiations could be the proposal by the Georgian president to guarantee broad autonomy for South-Ossetia. For a quick solution the European Union and OSCE are expected to respond adequately and international efforts should be closely coordinated. Estonia supports the intermediation proposal by Finland. Estonia is ready, in keeping with its capability, to take part in humanitarian assistance.[76] In a statement on July 22, preceding the war, the Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet emphasized the territorial integrity of Georgia and said that Russia must remove its illegally stationed troops from Georgia. [77]
  • Iceland Iceland - The Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir has in a statement from the Ministry called on the belligerents to preserve civilians and demands a quick end to the hostilities with a peaceful solution.[78]
  • Kazakhstan Kazakhstan - Following Vladimir Putin's remarks, the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, said "The Georgian leadership was not right when it failed to inform [other nations] on its actions toward South Ossetia and about higher tensions taking place there". Interfax also reported that Nazarbayev "agreed with Putin's view that countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States should make an assessment of the situation and undertake efforts to halt it".[79]
  • Latvia Latvia - The Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs phoned to Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs and stated that Latvia supports territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and stressed that use of military force should be avoided and current situation should be solved in negotiations. He also said that Russia should use its influence in South Ossetia to stop Ossetian provocations and expressed hope that Russia will not get military involved.[80]
  • Lithuania Lithuania - On August 7th, President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, received a phone call from the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili asked Lithuania’s president to help inform heads of the European Union and other western states of the situation in the region.[81] Adamkus assured that Lithuania would inform other European partners about the situation in Georgia and would seek adequate attention and assistance from the European Union in dealing with the situation.[81] On August 8, Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Petras Vaitiekūnas was sent to Georgia. He will be there to inform the EU partners about the situation in Georgia.[82] Lithuania is also evacuating about 50 its citizens from conflict region [83]
  • Sweden Sweden - Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt said in a statement: "The way in which the situation in South Ossetia has deteriorated is cause for profound concern. It is extremely important that all those involved show restraint and play their part in bringing about a political solution," ... "I am particularly concerned about the impact of the conflict on civilians. Georgia and Russia are dangerously close to war and there is a great risk of this spreading to other parts of the Caucasus."[84]
  • Turkey Turkey - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that the fighting is a grave concern for Turkey, which neighbors Georgia. Erdoğan has called for an immediate cease-fire and has said that he would call Georgian and Russian leaders to urge restraint if necessary.[85]
  • Ukraine Ukraine - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called to all sides to stop fire immediately and to start solving the problem by negotiations. Ukraine has confirmed its position of support of Georgian territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was stated that Ukraine is ready to make its contribution to peaceful resolution of the region's conflict within the framework of international diplomatic efforts.[86] Ukranian president Viktor Yushchenko, has sent his special representative Kostyantyn Yelisyeyev to Tbilisi as a result of phone conversation of Georgian President M.Saakashvili. The aims of the visit are consultations with Georgian authorities and representatives of OSCE, investigation of the situation in the region and presenting of the Ukrainian position on peaceful resolution of conflict.[87] The Foreign Ministry also called on Russia to remove its troops from Georgia and pressure the "separatist regime" to negotiations.[88]
  • United Kingdom United Kingdom - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office states on its website 'We are monitoring developments in Georgia following news that there has been heavy fighting between Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists. We urge an immediate ceasefire in the fighting in South Ossetia and for a resumption of direct dialogue between all parties.'[89]
  • United States United States - After the GMT 4:00 8 August UN Security Council meeting, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, however, said it appeared that the South Ossetians were the provokers of the violence. Fried said, "We have urged the Russians to urge their South Ossetian friends to pull back and show greater restraint. And we believe that the Russians ... are trying to do just that."[61] White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on 8 August, "All sides should bring an immediate end to the violence and engage in direct talks to resolve this matter peacefully."[90] Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later stated: "We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity, and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil."[91]

Non-recognized states

  • Abkhazia Abkhazia - On August 5, Abkhazia's separatist foreign minister, Sergey Shamba, announced that Abkhazia's army may open a second front against Georgia if it launched a full-scale attack against Ossetia.[92]
  • Don Cossacks Don Republic - On August 8, Viktor Vodolatskiy, the Cossack ataman of the Don Republic], said that a "voluntary 429th Cossack division" will be created to help the fight in South Ossetia and that 450 people were already signed up.[93]

Military

Georgia South Ossetia Russia
Population 4.6 million 70 thousand 140 million
Army 18,000 3,000 400,000
Tanks 128 87 23,000
Fighter jets 9 - 1,736[94]

Both sides are equipped with predominantly Soviet-made weapons. However, Georgia has recently also been acquiring some USA (helicopters) and Czechoslovakia (152mm SpGH DANA and ) made weaponry.

References

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  93. ^ Казаки формируют мотострелковый полк для помощи Южной Осетии. Lenta.ru Template:Ru icon
  94. ^ [8]
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