South Ossetia Dispute

In August of 2008, tensions escalated between Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists. On August 8th, Georgian troops invaded the South Ossetian captial Tskhinvali. On August 9, the Georgian government announced a "state of war." Russia sent troops and tanks into South Ossetia. On August 12, 2008, Russia and Georgia signed a cease-fire agreement. On August 22, 2008, Russia claimed it had withdrawn its troops from Georgian territory, except for troops that would stay in "security zones" of Georgia. United States, France and Britain said the withdrawal was not complete.¹

Fast Facts

1. Early 1990s: South Ossetia claimed independence from the country of Georgia
2. Georgia rejected the independence and sent troops to the region
3. Russian peace keepers intervened
4. 1992: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began monitoring the peacekeeping mission
5. August 7, 2007: Russia accused of violating Georgia's airspace
6. Russian officials denied the bombing
7. August 8, 2008: Heavy fighting erupted in South Ossetia; Georgian troops fired missiles at the capital city of Tskhinvali
8. August 8, 2008: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent troops into the region
9. Georgia warned their other separatist region, Abkhazia, to "not undertake any steps that would compound the situation"
10. Russia sent troops into Georgia
11. On August 12, 2008, Russia and Georgia signed a cease-fire agreement

Background

South Ossetia is a region that declared independence from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Georgia did not accept South Ossetia's independence and the regions have violently clashed throughout the years.

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