Georgia under Saakashvili

In 2013 marks the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia, which Russia was forced to give a military response, siding with the South Ossetian people. The military operation to force Georgia to peace, which began on August 8, led to the defeat of the aggressor and the proclamation of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The inadequacy of the actions of the Georgian authorities in August 2008, still as a heavy burden rests on the shoulders of the Georgian people: the difficult economic situation, the refugees, the need to restore the damaged relations with Moscow, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi.

On the night of August 8, 2008, Georgian forces launched a massive artillery shelling of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali and surrounding areas. A few hours later the Georgian forces launched an assault on the city with armored vehicles and infantry. The official reason for the attack on Tskhinvali, according to the Georgian side, was the violation of the cease-fire by South Ossetia, which, in turn, argues that Georgia opened fire first. On August 8, 2008 Russia formally joined the conflict on the side of South Ossetia, in the operation to force the Georgian side to peace: on August 9, Abkhazia joined the action under an agreement on military assistance between the members of the Commonwealth of Unrecognized States. On August 12m Russia officially announced the successful completion of the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace, and on 13 August Abkhazia officially announced the completion of the operation to force the Georgian troops out from the Kodori gorge, after which active hostilities ended. Between 14 August and 16 August 2008 the leaders of the states involved in the military action signed a plan for peace settlement of the conflict.

At a press conference on the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Georgia (2006-2008) and Armenia (2009-2013), Director of Regional Programs, Caspian Cooperation Institute, Vyacheslav Kovalenko shared his vision of the situation.