SOUTH OSSETIA, GEORGIA – AUGUST, 2008 South Ossetia is a mountainous region on the southern slope of the Caucasus that is recognized under international law as part of Georgia. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, armed clashes broke out there between Georgian forces and Ossetian separatists seeking independence. After the war of 1991–1992, South Ossetia gained de facto self-government, which was supported by Russia for many years. Russian, Georgian, and Ossetian peacekeepers were deployed in the region, but tensions persisted for nearly two decades.
At the beginning of August 2008, the situation escalated dramatically. After several days of exchanges of fire and shelling, the Georgian military launched an operation aimed at regaining control of South Ossetia. Shortly afterward, Russia entered the conflict, deploying large military forces to the region, stating that it was protecting its peacekeeping troops and the civilian population.
Within a few days, the Russian military drove Georgian forces out of South Ossetia and continued advancing deep into Georgian territory, occupying several strategic cities and military bases. Although the fighting originally began with the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali, a number of international organizations described the subsequent Russian invasion as disproportionate and concluded that Russia had gone beyond the defense of South Ossetia.
The five-day war claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers and civilians, and approximately 190,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Human rights organizations documented violations of international humanitarian law by both sides of the conflict. They also reported the systematic burning of Georgian villages and the forced displacement of ethnic Georgians from South Ossetia after Russian and Ossetian forces took control of the region.
After the ceasefire was signed, Russia recognized the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia and kept its troops in both territories. Only a few countries recognized this decision, while most of the world, including the European Union and the United States, continues to regard South Ossetia as part of Georgia. The region remains under the de facto control of local separatist authorities supported by Russia, and its status remains one of the most disputed territorial conflicts in Europe.
READ MORE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2008/08/russia-and-georgia-background-conflict-20080812/
