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2008 Georgia–Russia crisis

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The Georgia–Russia crisis is an ongoing international crisis between Georgia and Russia that escalated in 2008, when both countries accused each other of military buildup near the separatist regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. On March 6, 2008 Russia announced that it would no longer participate in the Commonwealth of Independent States economic sanctions imposed on Abkhazia in 1996.[1]

Increasing tensions led to the outbreak of the 2008 South Ossetia war. After the war, a number of incidents have occurred in both conflict zones, and tensions between the belligerents remain high. The crisis has been linked to the push for Georgia to receive a NATO Membership Action Plan and, indirectly, the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.[2]

Events in 2008[]

Lifting of CIS sanctions[]

Responding to Kosovo's recent declaration of independence, Russian officials declared Moscow should "reshape its relations with self-proclaimed republics".[3] Russia responded to these calls for increased ties by lifting Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) sanctions, declaring them "outdated, impeding the socio-economic development of the region, and causing unjustified hardship for the people of Abkhazia".[1] Russia also called on other CIS members to undertake similar steps, but met with protests from Tbilisi and lack of support from the other CIS countries.[4] Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party of Georgia, warned Abkhazia would be "finally separated from Georgia" and cited the lifting of sanctions as the first sign.[5] Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, raised similar concerns about the dropping of trade restrictions saying, "That could look like a de facto annexation and that would be a matter of great concern if it were the case."[6]

Increased involvement of Russia with breakaway republics in Georgia[]

Abkhazia and South Ossetia both submitted formal requests for recognition of their independence to Russia, among other countries, and international organizations as a response to the recognition of Kosovo.[7][8] Russia's Duma called a session for March 13 to discuss the issue of recognition in respect to the unrecognized republics in the Former Soviet Union.[9] Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said the European Union was concerned by what it considered moves by Russia to recognize Abkhazia. External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, there was "a growing preoccupation and anxiety that Russia may be paving the way for recognition of Abkhazia," and stated the EU's support for Georgia's territorial integrity.[6]

The Duma Committee for CIS on March 13, following a hearing on the unrecognized republics recommended an upgrading of relations with Abkhazia, Transnistria, and South Ossetia including the possibility of recognition. Other recommendations included or reported are the establishment of diplomatic missions in the regions with the foreign ministry to decide whether they are consulates or another type of mission, a removal of import duties on goods created by businesses with Russian shareholders in the regions, and increased humanitarian and economic assistance for Russian passport holders in the regions.[10][11] The Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily described the hearing as "the launch of a procedure of recognition."[10]

On April 16, 2008, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was going to recognise some documents issued by the separatist authorities and cooperate with them on trade and other issues. Putin also instructed his government to recognise businesses and organisations registered under Abkhaz and South Ossetian law, and to look at providing consular services to residents in the two regions. Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze said Russia's move amounted to a "legalisation of the de facto annexation process" being conducted by Russia and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer urged Russia to reverse the move and called for restraint from Georgia.[2]

Russian officials have warned that a move by Georgia to join NATO could force Russia to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia arguing that since the NATO referendum held in Georgia did not include the breakaway states it showed Georgia intends to join NATO without them.[12]

Direct dealings between Russia and Abkhazia on the transfer of Russian citizens in Abkhaz prisons raised concern from Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis since the dealings were done without seeking the permission of the Georgian government.[13]

Russia's state-owned Gazprom was reported to be planning oil and gas exploration in Abkhazia beginning July 1, 2008. In addition Abkhazia said international airline flights from Russia could use Sokhumi airport though the International Civil Aviation Organization said such flights would be unacceptable.[14] Officials from Gazprom said there were no plans for oil exploration in Abkhazia, but did say there was a proposal being considered to build a gas pipeline to Abkhazia.[15] Responding to Russian media reports that sea links between Sochi in Russia and Gagra in Abkhazia would be resumed, Georgia threatened to appeal to international marine organizations over the use of "illegal" routes.[16]

Georgia drone-downing incidents[]

The crisis deepened on April 20, 2008 when a Georgian unmanned unarmed aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down over the Abkhazian conflict zone. Abkhazia's separatist administration immediately said its own forces shot down the drone because it was violating Abkhaz airspace and breached ceasefire agreements. Garry Kupalba, deputy defence minister of the unrecognised Republic of Abkhazia, told reporters the drone had been shot down by an "L-39 aircraft of the Abkhaz Air Force". He also identified the drone as an Israeli-made Hermes 450.[17]

However, Georgia's defence ministry released video the next day showing what appears to be a Russian MiG-29 shooting down the unarmed Georgian drone. The video, shot from the drone moments before impact, shows a jet launching a missile over what appears to be the Black Sea. According to Georgia the jet came from Gudauta and then returned to Russia. Moscow denied Georgia’s accusation and stressed that none of its planes were in the region at the time.[18][19] Furthermore, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing Georgia of violating the 1994 Moscow agreement and United Nations resolutions on Abkhazia by deploying without authorisation a UAV (which also can be used to direct fire) in the Security Zone and the Restricted Weapons Zone.[20]

On April 24, a closed-door UN Security Council emergency session convened at Georgia’s request failed to resolve the dispute, but the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Germany issued a joint statement expressing their concern over Russia’s recent moves in Abkhazia and calling on Moscow to reverse or not to implement its decision to legalize ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin called the demand by the Western states "a tall order" and stressed that Russia had no intention of reversing its plans.[21]

Although Moscow denies that a MiG-class fighter was involved in the incident, the Russian envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, has suggested that a MiG-29 belonging to a NATO member might have downed the Georgian spy plane. In response, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has reportedly remarked that "he'd eat his tie if it turned out that a NATO MiG-29 had magically appeared in Abkhazia and shot down a Georgian drone."[22]

Early in May 2008, both Russian and Abkhaz sides claimed that three more Georgian reconnaissance drones were shot over Abkhazia, and declared that Georgia was preparing to mount an offensive into the region in the near future. Georgia denied these allegations, stating that it was "a provocation aimed at propagandistic support of Russia’s military intervention."[23]

On May 26, 2008, the U.N. mission released the conclusion of its independent investigation into the April 20 incident. It confirmed that the Georgian video footage and radar data were authentic and the jet which destroyed the drone was indeed Russian. The conclusion report said that the jet flew towards the Russian territory after the incident, but it was unclear where the attacker took off, naming the Gudauta base as a possible locality. The mission also noted that "a reconnaissance mission by a military aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, constituted "military action" and therefore contravened the ceasefire accord.[24] Georgia hailed the report,[25] but Russia dismissed it.[26]

Georgia had officially suspended drone flights over Abkhazia in early June, but Abkhazia accuses Georgia of continuing to fly drones in the region.[27]

Military buildup in Abkhazia[]

The UAV incident triggered a new rise in tensions between the two countries. Russia accused Georgia of trying to exploit the NATO support to solve the Abkhazia problem by force and of sending its troops in the Georgia-controlled upper Kodori Valley in northeast Abkhazia. However, the U.N. monitors in Abkhazia stated earlier in April they did not observe any military buildup on either side of the demilitarization line. On April 29, Russia announced it would increase its military in the region and threatened to retaliate militarily to Georgia’s efforts. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, it has increased the number of its peacekeepers in Abkhazia to 2,542 peacekeepers, which is 458 short of the 3,000 limit set by agreement.[28] The Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said Georgia would treat any additional troops in Abkhazia as aggressors while President Saakashvili, in his televised address, pledged to pursue only a peaceful line in the conflict areas and called upon the Abkhaz and Ossetians to unite with Georgia in defying attempts by "outrageous and irresponsible external force to trigger bloodshed".[29] The European Union also urged caution, saying to increase troop numbers would be "unwise" given current tensions, while the United States has called on Russia "to reconsider some provocative steps" it had taken in respect of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.[30]

Georgia suspended the talks regarding Russia's admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and threatened to veto the process.[31] Georgian officials claim Russia is changing facts on the ground to make it impossible for NATO foreign ministers to give Georgia a Membership Action Plan when they meet in December 2008.[32] Russian Cossacks and North Caucasian volunteers declared their readiness to fight Georgia in the case of a renewed confrontation in Abkhazia.[33] On May 6, 2008, the Georgian state minister for reintegration Temur Iakobashvili said Georgia was on the verge of war with Russia.[34] Georgia requested from the U.N. mission to inquire into the number and deployment of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Abkhazia. Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the chief UN observer "agreed that actions by the Russian side do not contradict basic agreements on the conduct of the peacekeeping operation", but the mission later responded to this statement, declaring that it "has no authority to pronounce on the conformity between the CIS peacekeeping operation in the Zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict and CIS rules."[35]

The Abkhaz foreign minister Sergei Shamba asked Russia to place Abkhazia under Russia's military control in exchange for security guarantees.[36] Sergei Bagapsh, president of Abkhazia's separatist administration, said he was in favor of Russia establishing a military base in Abkhazia and called for the signing of a military cooperation agreement with Russia modeled on the Taiwan Relations Act.[37] Alexander Zelin, commander of the Russian Air Forces said if such a decision was made it would "promote the implementation of air defense tasks" and noted Russia has similar cooperation with Armenia.

[38] On May 16, 2008 Yuri Baluevsky, chief of general staff of the Russian armed forces denied Russia had any plans to build a military base in Abkhazia.[39] On May 18, 2008, Georgia detained five Russian peacekeepers along the administrative border with the Abkhazia region claiming that their armoured personnel carrier collided with a Georgian woman's car, in the town of Zugdidi. The peacekeepers were later released. Alexander Diordiev, a Russian peacekeeping official, confirmed the detention of the Russian soldiers but said there was no collision and instead that Georgians provoked the peacekeepers in an attempt to discredit the Russian presence.[40] According to Diordiev peacekeepers were redeploying hardware near the village of Urta on the night of when Georgian law-enforcement officers blocked the road to the peacekeepers' armored personnel carrier and fuel tanker truck. Then, a damaged Volga car approached the scene and the Georgian police claimed that the car had been damaged by the Russian peacekeepers. Diordiev said that force was used against the peacekeepers.[41] A statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry issued on May 19, 2008 has compared the Georgians’ actions to those of "true street bandits" saying The Georgians used "crude physical force," striking one peacekeeper in the head and taking two to the police station. According to the statement only after the intervention of the Collective Forces for the Support of Peace command and the UN observation mission were the Russian peacekeepers released. Diordiev stated that the Georgians were informed in advance that the equipment would be moved.[42]

On May 19, 2008, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported that over the weekend Moscow's military leadership authorized peacekeepers to conduct armed operations on their own behalf if necessary. Sergei Shamba, the Abkhaz foreign minister, said the report was "credible."[43]

On May 21, 2008 automatic weapons fire and grenade blasts were reported near the village of Kurcha. A passenger bus is also reported to have come under fire. Russian peacekeepers and UN observers were called to the scene of the violence.[44] A deputy Georgian interior minister told journalists two buses of passengers going to vote in the Georgian elections were blown up and that the injured were being taken to Zugdidi hospital.[45] Abkhaz officials claimed the attacks happened in Georgian territory, not Abkhaz. Two Georgians were reported to be those injured in the attack.[46] Some reports said the Inguri Bridge, the only legal crossing-point between the breakaway region of Abkhazia and Samegrelo, was blocked by Abkhaz paramilitary units and that Bus crossing has also been banned. Dozens of local residents assembled in front of the administrative office of the district to protest the decision.[47] Georgian officials accused Abkhazia of the attacks and preventing Georgians from voting in the legislative elections, which Abkhaz officials denied instead saying Georgia was responsible for the attack and Georgians in Abkhaiza were not interested in voting. Abkhazia said Russian peacekeepers were sent to the border to prevent further violence.[48]

Georgia's Foreign Ministry has sent a protest note to the CIS secretariat demanding some Russian troops and armaments be immediately withdrawn from Abkhazia saying that according to the UN, an airborne battalion, 50 BMD-2 airborne combat vehicles, and two artillery batteries have been deployed in Abkhazia. The ministry said this was out of line with a 1995 resolution of the CIS presidents' council.[49]

On June 15, 2008, media reports circulated saying Russia had set up a military base near the village of Agubedia in Abkhazia's Ochamchir district and had deployed heavy armor there. Russia's Defense Ministry denied the report.[50] The Georgian-backed Abkhaz government said on June 17, 2008 that Russia refuse to allow UN observers in the area.[51]

On June 17, 2008, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned that Tbilisi's proposal to review the status of the peacekeeping operation in the Georgia-Abkhazia conflict zone could "unfreeze" the conflict, while the situation in the Caucasus as a whole could "slip out of control."[52]

Georgian police said on June 18, 2008, that they detained four Russian peacekeepers and a military truck in the conflict zone between Georgia and its breakaway Abkhazia, accusing the peacekeepers of transporting ammunition and shells without coordination with the Caucasus states. Georgia's Interior Ministry said Tuesday that the peacekeepers were transporting 35 crates of ammunition, including guided missiles and anti-tank mines, a violation of agreements in the region. Russia's Defense Ministry said the arrest was "in violation of all regulatory norms in the buffer zone." The peacekeepers were released after nine hours of interrogation.[53] Lt. Gen. Alexander Burutin, a deputy head of the General Staff, on June 19, 2008 compared the detention to a "bandit attack" warning Russian peacekeepers had every right to use their weapons and that future attempts at detaining peacekeepers may result in bloodshed.[54] A Russian military expert commenting on the detentions predicted war between Georgia and Abkhazia if such actions didn't stop.[55] Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would not tolerate such actions against peacekeepers.[56]

The Abkhaz government claimed Georgian special forces were responsible for a bombing in Abkhazia on June 30, 2008, which wounded two in Sukhumi and another in Gagra the day before which wounded six. Abkhazia closed off traffic from Georgia in response to the bombing. [57]

May and June events in South Ossetia[]

Georgia's foreign minister, Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili, said on May 15, 2008 that Georgia would regard any increase in Russian peacekeepers in the breakaway republic of South Ossetia as a "gross encroachment on Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity".[58]

In South Ossetia three explosions were heard near the village of Eredvi with one blast meters away from a line Georgian military vehicles. South Ossetian authorities have called the blasts a "provocation".[59] Deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia accused the South Ossetian administration of being responsible, saying they had taken up "tactics of terrorism."[60]

On May 20, 2008 Taimuraz Mamsurov, president of the south Russian republic of North Ossetia, asked foreign ambassadors for their support in uniting the province with South Ossetia. Georgian Ambassador to Russia Erosi Kitsmarishvili said such unification would contravene international law.[61] South Ossetia's President Eduard Kokoity hailed Mamsurov’s pronouncement saying "South Ossetia’s main goal is unification with North Ossetia in the Russian Federation. We make no secret of this in front of the international community." Both have suggested an interim period where South Ossetia is recognized as independent and then formally incorporated into Russia through a referendum.[62]

On the night of June 14 into the early morning of June 15 of 2008 mortar fire and an exchange of gunfire were reported between South Ossetian and Georgian forces. South Ossetia reported that mortar fire was launched from Georgian-controlled villages on Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, and that their forces came under fire from Georgian forces on the outskirts of the capital. Georgia denies firing the first shot claiming instead that South Ossetia had attacked the Georgian-controlled villages.[63] Russian, Georgian, and North Ossetia peacekeepers as well as Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitors went to the site of the clashes however it was not determined who fired the first shot. One person was killed and four wounded during the violence.[64]

Russian spy accusation[]

On May 16, 2008 it was reported that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have intercepted a spy working for Georgia who was trying to help rebels in Southern Russia.[65] The alleged agent was identified as Ramzan Turkoshvili, a Georgian-born Russian citizen, who the FSB said was recruited by Georgian intelligence officers working with Zelimkhan Khangashvili accused of being involved in a 2004 attack in Russia's Ingushetia province that left nearly 100 people dead, many of them police. The official also claimed Georgian intelligence paid Turkoshvili to establish contacts with militants in the North Caucasus and help Georgia finance them, ease their movement and gather information about potential recruits among Russian servicemen and officials. The FSB cast the detention as proof of Georgian support for militants operating in Russia's restive North Caucasus, including Chechnya, and confirms that Georgia's security service was "participating in disruptive terrorist activities" in the region. Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili denied the accusations and called it "a continuation of Russia's policy of provocation toward Georgia".[66]

Russian railway troops in Abkhazia[]

See also: Russian Railway Troops

On May 31, 2008, Russia sent its railway troops, allegedly unarmed, to repair a railway line in Abkhazia. Georgia condemned the move as an act of aggression aimed at preparing a full-scale intervention.[67] The US Department of State also said that it was "dismayed" by the deployment.[68] On June 2, 2008, Temur Mzhavia, chairman of the exiled Supreme Council of Abkhazia, claimed that Russia plans to recognize Abkhazia on September 27, when the Abkhaz celebrate a "victory day", but Vyacheslav Kovalenko, Russia’s ambassador to Georgia, dismissed such claims as "fabrications".[69]

The new Russian troops' arrival in Abkhazia preceded by a few days a planned meeting between the presidents Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia on the sidelines of a CIS summit in Saint Petersburg on June 6–7. Saakashvili said he would hold a phone conversation with Medvedev on June 3 to discuss the deployment of Russian engineering units in Abkhazia.[70] On June 3, NATO's secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer accused Russia of breaching Georgia's sovereignty by sending in military railway personnel and demanded their withdrawal.[71]

On June 7, 2008 the Russia's defense minister said the railroad troops would leave within two months after they've finished work on the railroad.[72] Moscow claimed to have found an anti-tank mine on June 13 on the section of the Abkhaz railway, which was being repaired by the Russian Railway Forces which Russia claimed was an attempt at carrying out a "subversive-terrorist act" against the Russian Federation’s Railway Forces.[73]

On June 18, 2008, a military official announced Russian railway troops had increased their security, following two blasts on the railway near Sokhumi, suspecting the bombings were targeted at their forces.[74] Malkhaz Akishbaya, chairman of the Georgian-backed Abkhazia exile Government, claimed the two blasts were directed at legalizing the presence of Russian railway troops.[75]

On June 23, 2008 Sergey Bagapsh said the railways repaired by the Russian railway troops would be used to transport construction material for a sports complex to be used in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[76]

On July 24, 2008 the Russian Defense Ministry said Russian railroad troops had almost finished repair work on the railway in Abkhazia and would withdraw in early August. A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said there would be a ceremony for resuming the operation of the fixed section at the end of July, and the troops would return to their bases in Russia after taking part in the ceremony.[77] Russian railroad troops finished pulling out of Abkhazia on July 30, 2008.[78]

July 2008 events[]

A South Ossetian police official was killed in a bomb attack on July 3, 2008 and was followed by an intense exchange of gun fire. Later a convoy carrying Dimitri Sanakoev, the head of the Tbilisi-backed South Ossetian provisional administration was attacked and three of his security guards injured. On July 4, 2008 two people were killed as a result of shelling and shooting in Tskhinvali and some villages in South Ossetia. The South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported that a South Ossetian militiaman had been killed and another injured in an attack on a police post in the village of Ubia and this was followed by the shelling of Tskhinvali, which resulted in the death of one man. The shelling involved the use of mortars and grenade launchers, they said. Georgia claimed it had opened fire in response to the shelling by South Ossetian militiamen of Georgian-controlled villages.[79] South Ossetia called up military reservists and put its security forces on alert in response to the clashes. The head of Russia's peacekeeping troops in the region was quoted as saying extra soldiers could be deployed if the stand-off worsened.[80] South Ossetia warned it would move heavy weaponry into the conflict zone with Georgia if attacks on the republic were not stopped. [81]

On July 6, 2008 a bomb in Gali, Abkhazia killed four people and injured six. Abkhazia said the bombing and others before it were part of a campaign of "state terrorism" carried out by Georgian spies and called on G8 countries, the UN and the OSCE to stop it. Abkhazia also cut off all contact with Georgia in response to the bombing.[82] Georgia condemned the bombings and blamed them on Russia, claiming the attacks were being done in the interest of a prolonged presence of Russian peacekeepers.[83]

The Georgian Ministry of Defense said on July 7, 2008 a group of up to ten militiamen were apparently prevented from placing mines on a Georgian-controlled by-pass road linking the Georgian villages in the north of Tskhinvali with the rest of Georgia. The Georgian side opened fire and the group was forced to retreat towards the nearby South Ossetian-controlled village. On July 8, 2008 South Ossetia reported that it had detained four "officers from the artillery brigade of the Georgian Ministry of Defense" close to the village of Okona in the Znauri district at the administrative border the night before.[84] Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told police to prepare an operation to free the four soldiers, but they were released before an operation was launched.[85]

Russian military jets flew into the Georgian airspace through South Ossetia on July 9, 2008 and then returned to Russia. The next day, the Russian authorities confirmed the flight and said, in an official statement, the fighters were sent to prevent Georgia from launching an operation to free the four soldiers detained by South Ossetia.[86] In response, Georgia recalled its ambassador to Moscow "for consultations", stating that it was "outraged by Russia's aggressive policies."[87]

The incident coincided with the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Tbilisi where she pledged the U.S. support for Georgia's bid to join NATO. She said that granting NATO Membership Action Plan to Georgia would help resolve the Abkhaz and South Ossetian problems. The statement caused a negative outcry in Moscow: the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov responded, during his meeting with the de facto Abkhaz president Sergey Bagapsh, that Georgia’s NATO integration process "may undermine the conflict resolution" process.[88] On July 11, 2008 Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the conflict zones.[89]

A South Ossetian envoy on July 11, 2008 declared that South Ossetia was capable of repelling any attack by Georgia without help from Moscow and also said the mainly Russian peacekeeping contingent in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone should be increased.[90] The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement the same day that measures have been taken "to increase combat readiness" of the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Abkhazia. It also said that security had been tightened at the Russian peacekeepers’ base camps, observation posts and checkpoints, and "additional training" of the peacekeeping personnel had been conducted "to explain regulations of use of firearm while on duty."[91] Nika Rurua, Deputy Head of the Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, warned Georgia would shoot down Russia’s military aircraft should they appear in its airspace again; and an initiative was considered to this effect. It was decided instead to appeal to the world community on the matter. Media reports published information about Russia’s alleged plans to seize the Kodori Gorge specifying that the details of the operation were worked out by Russian high-ranking military officials, with Abkhazia’s President Sergey Bagapsh. Russia is reportedly planning to respond by revealing the details of a planned military invasion of South Ossetia by Georgia to release their detained officers.[92]

On July 14, 2008 Georgia's deputy defense minister Batu Kutelia said Georgia plans to expand its military more than 15 percent to 37,000 soldiers following events in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The additional manpower would be used to defend Georgia's airspace and the Black Sea coast.[93] On July 15, 2008 the U.S. and Russia both began exercises in the Caucasus though Russia denies the timing was intentional.[94] The Russian exercises included training to support peacekeepers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia claimed the exercises were a manifestation of Russian aggression against it.[95] Also on July 15, Abkhazia and South Ossetia were said to be planning to join the Union of Russia and Belarus, a spokesman for the Union said both regions have talked about joining the Union, but that they would need to be recognized as independent and become observers before they could join the Union as members.[96][97] Georgia said on July 16, 2008 that if Russia did not accept a German plan for resolving the conflict Georgia would be forced to "unilaterally bring an influence to bear on the deployment of armed forces in Abkhazia."[98]

According to media reports, on July 19, 2008 a Georgian police post was attacked by Abkhaz militias using grenades, one of the militiamen died from a grenade exploding accidentally. Abkhaz officials condemned the reports as false.[99] Georgian media also reported on July 19 that a battalion of Russian troops had moved into the lower Kodori Gorge.[100] Georgia's Defense Ministry claimed Russian troops encroached on Mamison and Roksky passes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia respectively and are in combat alert. Abkhazia's Foreign Minister said no new troops were brought in over the quota.[101]

A U.N. report issued July 23, 2008 on the period between April and July 2008 noted discrepancies with the Georgian account of a shooting in Khurcha on the day of Georgian elections. In particular the report noted the way the incident was filmed suggested the attack was anticipated. The report said reconnaissance flights by Georgia were a violation of the ceasefire, but said the shooting down of those fights also constituted a breach of the ceasefire. Concerning a military buildup by Georgia the UN report said it found no evidence of a buildup but noted observers were denied access to certain areas of Abkhazia controlled by Georgia including the Kvabchara Valley.[102]

On July 28, 2008, a spokesman for the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia said South Ossetian forces had blocked peacekeepers and OSCE observers from the village of Cholibauri which is close to where Georgia says South Ossetia is building fortifications.[103] On July 29, 2008 South Ossetia said two South Ossetian villages had been fired on by Georgian forces in response to South Ossetia reinforcing its positions on the perimeter of the conflict zone.[104] Georgia said the same day that Georgian posts on the Sarabuki heights were attacked by South Ossetian forces with no injuries reported.[103]

At the end of July South Ossetia confirmed it had been setting up military fortifications in the conflict zone and acknowledged this violated previous agreements, but claimed it was in response to similar actions by Georgian forces.[105]

War[]

Main article: 2008 South Ossetia war

This crisis gave rise on August 7, 2008, to a war involving Georgia and Russia along with Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. During the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, Georgia launched a large-scale military offensive against South Ossetia, in an attempt to reclaim the territory.[106]

Post-war events in 2008[]

On August 26, 2008, Russia officially recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.[107] In response to Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Georgian government announced that the country had cut all diplomatic relations with Russia.[108] Russia had already closed its embassy right after the beginning of the war in South Ossetia in August 2008 before diplomatic relations between the two countries ended.

Since the end of the war, at least 28 Georgian policeman patrolling the two territory's boundaries have been killed by sniper fire or mines.[109]

  • On September 10, a Georgian policeman was killed in a village north of Gori.[110]
  • On September 13, a Georgian policeman was killed on the border between Abkhazia and Georgia.[110]
  • On September 21, a Georgian policeman was killed and three wounded on the border between Abkhazia and Georgia. Georgian authorities claimed the "incident occurred" at the time when shots were fired "from the direction of the [nearby] Russian army checkpoint", with the following exchange of fire between "Georgian police" and "Abkhaz-controlled territory" lasting for several minutes.[110]
  • On September 22, two Georgian policemen were wounded by a mine on the border between Abkhazia and Georgia.[110]

Civilians have also been killed. On September 25, a 13-year-old South Ossetian resident was killed when an explosive device blew up on the outskirts of Tskhinvali.[111]

On October 3, a car filled with explosives blew up near the Russian headquarters in Tskhinvali. Eleven people were killed, including seven Russian peacekeeper, among them Colonel Ivan Petrik, the peacekeeper's Chief of Staff. Seven soldiers were injured.[112][113] The Russians accused the Georgians of orchestrating the "terrorist attack", claiming that just before the blast, the Russians arrested four Georgians and seized light firearms and two grenades. "The cars and the detained people were escorted to Tskhinvali. During the search of one of the cars, an explosive device equivalent to some 20kg of TNT went off," a military spokesman told Interfax.[114] The South Ossetian leader accused Georgia of state terrorism, saying "The latest terrorist attacks in South Ossetia prove that Georgia has not renounced its policy of state terrorism. We have no doubt that these terrorist acts are the work of Georgia special forces.[115]

The Georgian government blamed Russia for the incident. "If provocations and tensions are in the interest of anyone, it's the Russians," Shota Utiashvili, the Interior Ministry spokesman, told the Reuters news agency, "They are doing everything not to pull troops out within the set term".[115] Georgia also said it would have been hard to find Ossetians to take the car into the area under Russian control. "I don't understand the logic. How could the Georgian secret service plan that the Ossetians would steal the car and that the Russians would take it to their base. Are we geniuses or what?" Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.[113]

The French Presidency of the European Union condemned the attack.[116]

Incidents also occurred near Abkhazia:

  • On October 6, an Abkhaz border guard was shot and killed on the border between Abkhazia and Georgia, allegedly by Georgian police commandos.[117]
  • On October 18, Georgian media reported that a bridge in the Adzva village in the Gori district was partly blown up by alleged Ossetian militia.[118]
  • On October 25, a bomb exploded in the Georgian town of Muzhava near the border with Abkhazia killing a villager and the mayor of the town, Gia Mebonia.[119][120]

In mid-October 2008, South Ossetian police were given orders to return fire should they be on the receiving end of a firing from the Georgian side. This was seen as directive that could increase the threat of new violence. South Ossetia's top police official issued this order in response to a police post coming under automatic weapons fire from an ethnic Georgian village. The acting Interior Minister Mikhail Mindzayev said nobody was hurt by the gunfire, although he did refer to it as a series of provocations by Georgians forces.[121]

Events in 2009[]

On January, 19, Russia banned exports of military and dual purpose products to Georgia. According to RIA Novosti, countries or individuals found to be in breach of these regulations will face economic and financial sanctions. The ban will remain in force until 2011.[122]

On January 19 and 20, Russia requested that Georgia allow its experts access to Georgian military installations for evaluation and verification checks in accordance with a 1999 Vienna OSCE document on confidence and security-building measures. Georgia rejected both requests.[123]

On January 23, Russia expressed concern over "Georgia's expanding military presence on the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia." According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, "EU monitors working in areas adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia have been reporting a buildup of Georgian military units and special forces near the borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and our 'technical devices' have also recorded this. Provocations also occur sporadically. We are concerned by this."[123]

On January 26, Russian junior sergeant Alexandr Glukhov appeared in Tbilisi, giving press interviews at McDonald's and on Georgian TV in the presence of Georgian Interior Ministry officials. The 21-year old claimed that bad living conditions and problems with his superior forced him to desert: "The conditions there were awful. We had no bath. There was not enough food and it was very bad. [...] I had very bad relations with my commander. He didn't like anything I did and that was why I left." According to Georgia, he appealed for permission to remain in Georgia.[124][125] On January 28 the soldier announced on Georgian TV that he asked for political asylum in Georgia.[126]

The same day Russia demanded his release, claiming that he was captured in the Akhalgori district of South Ossetia and taken to Tbilisi and that he might be tortured: "Aleksandr Glukhov was captured by the Georgian military in South Ossetia and taken to Tbilisi. It is another information provocation by the Georgian authorities. Under physical or psychological pressure or threats, he could have said anything," said Aleksandr Drobyshevsky, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman.[127] The soldier’s mother says she thinks that her son is under psychological pressure: "We periodically talk on the phone and I have an impression that he cannot speak freely as somebody is next to him".[126] On February 13, 2009 members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi gathered near the Georgian embassy demanding the return of Glukhov.[126] Later, Russia acknowledged that Glukhov had indeed left his unit voluntarily and pressed charges for desertion.[128]

On February 2, at a meeting with EU envoys, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko expressed concern over the build-up of Georgian troops on the border with South Ossetia. "Grushko expressed concern in connection with the build-up of a Georgian military presence on South Ossetia's borders," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The increased activity of their [Georgian] special units has been reported on the eastern part of the South Ossetian border."[129]

On February 6, Georgia submitted the application against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights, to continue the process started in August 2008.[130]

On February 23, Pavel Felgenhauer, a military analyst, and a harsh critic of the Kremlin, claimed that Russia plans to invade Georgia from newly formed bases in South Ossetia in order to topple the Saakashvili government.[131] In May 2009, former U.S. Ambassadors to Georgia William Courtney and Kenneth Yalowitz, and Denis Corboy, the former European Commission ambassador to Georgia, expressed similar concerns, citing Russia's military buildup in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and Moscow's resentment over the "unfinished business" of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. They called on the United States to lead efforts at preventing a "new tragedy" in Georgia.[132]

On August 3, South Ossetian separatists threw grenades into Georgian and Russian checkpoints.[133] The next day, Georgia and South Ossetia accused each other of opening fire.[134] Georgia's Foreign Ministry condemned Russia's "deliberate attempts" to escalate the situation.[135] Georgia urged the US, UN, and EU to defuse the tensions.[136]

Close to the one year anniversary of the start of the war, renewed internet attacks on news sites, blogs and Georgian official websites occurred. In one case the Twitter account of a Georgian blogger came under attack, leading to a several hour long downtime of the entire service.[137][138]

Georgia's re-arming[]

Following the war, Georgia began to rebuild its depleted military forces, and repair its military bases. Georgia's navy, reduced to 15 vessels, were merged into the Georgian Coast Guard. Two Georgian naval vessels scuttled by the Russians in Poti were raised. One was immediately returned to service, while another underwent repairs.[139] Georgia has purchased patrol/fast attack boats from Turkey, but the heaviest armament seen on these boats are 25-30mm cannons. Five smaller Georgian patrol boats armed with ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns survived the war with Russia and are currently in service. The missile boats Tbilisi and Dioskuria remain submerged, and are likely total losses. A Chicago-based arms manufacturer has sold Georgia $100 million worth of weaponry, including advanced air defense equipment, after Georgia lodged a formal request for military assistance.[140] According to Russia, NATO countries supply Georgia with small arms and ammunition, while Israel supplies it with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Russia also claims that the United States is training Georgian personnel.[141] Ukraine has confirmed that it sold Georgia twelve T-84 and ten T-72 tanks, three BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, sixty portable air defense missiles, and ammunition for rocket launchers and anti-tank guided missiles.[142] Ukraine confirmed to Russia that it does supply arms to Georgia and will continue to do so unless sanctions are imposed by the United Nations Security Council. Shortly after the war, Turkey began re-supplying Georgia with military technology and weapons. Following the war, Turkey has sold to Georgia 60 armored personnel carriers, 2 helicopters, firearms with ammunition, military vehicles, telecommunications and navigation systems, speedboats, and Pakistani-made missiles.[143] The United States continues to deliver large amounts of arms and military equipment to Georgia.[144][145] Ukraine also confirmed that it delivered munitions and artillery systems to Georgia in September 2008.[146] Georgia also plans to buy 10 new cargo planes for its air force, possibly C-130 Hercules transports.

Russia accused Georgia of "aggressively re-arming", and claimed that it was preparing for a new war, which Georgia denied. On 1 October 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a law making it illegal for Russian citizens to sell, supply, or transfer arms, military technology, or equipment to Georgia, and prohibiting the use of Russian railways, waters, and airspace for military co-operation with Georgia. The law also states that economic sanctions may be imposed on any states or organizations delivering military products to Georgia, and the restricting or terminating military, technical, and economic co-operation with these states would be considered. The sanctions are to last until December 2011. Russia had earlier tried to have an International arms embargo on Georgia imposed, but the initiative failed to meet widespread International support. Georgia has declared the decree "ineffective", and claims that it will influence illegal arms supplies. Georgia also claimed that Russian arms being used by its military would soon be replaced by European hardware.[147] Despite this law, Georgia continues to receive military equipment from abroad.

On February 4, 2011, South Ossetia reported about Georgia's expanding intelligence activity. According to the report, South Ossetia registered 14 drones in its airspace from December 2010. Georgia has denied these claims.[148]

See also[]

  • Georgia–Russia relations
  • Controversy over Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence
  • Kosovo independence precedent
  • Frozen conflict
  • Georgia–European Union relations

References[]

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  90. ↑ "S.Ossetia could repel Georgia attack without Russian help - envoy". RIA Novosti. 2008-07-11. Archived from the original on 14 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080714063016/http://en.rian.ru/world/20080711/113784564.html. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  91. ↑ "Russian MoD: Troops on Combat Readiness in Abkhazia". Civil Georgia. 2008-07-11. http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18758. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  92. ↑ "Georgia Is Able to Shoot Down Violators". Kommersant. 2008-07-12. http://www.kommersant.com/p911803/Georgia_and_Russia_are_teetering_on_the_brink_of_war/. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
  93. ↑ "Georgia to Expand Military to Counter Russian Threat in Regions". Bloomberg. 2008-07-14. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=a3AYHBQLQAt4&refer=europe. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  94. ↑ "Russia, US hold rival war games in restive Caucasus: officials". Agence France-Presse. 2008-07-15. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080719155326/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hl2IaaI7mzhpleTStjpbg4qAxt2A. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  95. ↑ "Russian paratroopers arrive in North Caucasus for combat drills". RIA Novosti. 2008-07-16. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080727045253/http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080716/114129465.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  96. ↑ "Georgia’s breakaway republics reveal plan to join Russia". Russia Today. 2008-07-15. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080813220923/http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/27526. Retrieved 2008-07-17. [dead link]
  97. ↑ "Spokesman for Russia-Belarus Union State: Georgia can join the Union State as well". Regnum News Agency. 2008-07-15. Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080717221130/http://www.regnum.ru/english/1027897.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  98. ↑ "Tbilisi pins hopes on German plan to resolve Abkhaz conflict". RIA Novosti. 2008-07-16. http://en.rian.ru/world/20080716/114113148.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  99. ↑ "Georgian TV Reports: Police Post Attacked on Abkhaz Border". Civil Georgia. 2008-07-20. http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18818. Retrieved 2008-07-21. 
  100. ↑ "Georgian TV Company Alleges Russian Battalion Brought into Abkhazia". iStockAnalyst. 2008-07-19. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080928070837/http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2413551~title_Georgian-TV-Company.html. Retrieved 2008-07-21. 
  101. ↑ "Georgia Raises Alarm". Kommersant. 2008-07-21. Archived from the original on 1 September 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080901192751/http://www.kommersant.com/p914485/Georgia_Troops_Russia/. Retrieved 2008-07-21. 
  102. ↑ "UN Observers on Polling Day Abkhaz Shooting". Civil Georgia. 2008-07-29. Archived from the original on 12 August 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080812234031/http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18857. Retrieved 2008-07-30. 
  103. ↑ 103.0 103.1 "Georgians fire on South Ossetian villages - S.Ossetian president". RIA Novosti. 2008-07-29. http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18854. Retrieved 2008-07-30. 
  104. ↑ "Georgia reports Shootout in S.Ossetia". Civil Georgia. 2008-07-29. Archived from the original on 30 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080730093932/http://en.rian.ru/world/20080729/115197261.html. Retrieved 2008-07-30. 
  105. ↑ "S.Ossetia Confirms Setting Up Military Fortifications". Civil Georgia. 2008-07-30. http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18867. Retrieved 2008-08-10. 
  106. ↑ King, Charles (2009-10-11). "Clarity in the Caucasus?". http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65469/charles-king/clarity-in-the-caucasus. Retrieved 27 January 2012. 
  107. ↑ "Russia Recognizes Independence of Georgian Regions (Update2)". Bloomberg. 2008-08-26. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=afAvlgTbOoAg&refer=canada. Retrieved 2008-08-26. 
  108. ↑ "Georgia breaks ties with Russia" BBC News. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
  109. ↑ Blomfield, Adrian (2009-08-01). "South Ossetia one year on: Georgians wait in fear for Russians to return". The Daily Telegraph. London. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/georgia/5956499/South-Ossetia-one-year-on-Georgians-wait-in-fear-for-Russians-to-return.html. Retrieved 6 August 2009. 
  110. ↑ 110.0 110.1 110.2 110.3 Civil.Ge | MIA: Policeman Killed in Shooting on Abkhaz Border
  111. ↑ Civil.Ge | Blast Kills One in Tskhinvali
  112. ↑ Dead link. Reuters. Retrieved 4 October 2008
  113. ↑ 113.0 113.1 Dead link. Reuters. Retrieved 5 October 2008
  114. ↑ Harding, Luke (2008-10-04). "Car bomb kills Russian troops in South Ossetia". The Guardian. London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/04/georgia.russia. Retrieved 2010-04-22. 
  115. ↑ 115.0 115.1 Car bomb kills 7 in breakaway Georgia region | Concord Monitor
  116. ↑ [1][dead link]
  117. ↑ Civil.Ge | Abkhaz Border Guard Killed in Gali
  118. ↑ "Грузинские СМИ: неизвестные взорвали мост в районе Гори". gazeta.ru. 2008-10-18. http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lenta/2008/10/18/n_1284682.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-20. 
  119. ↑ wiredispatch.com
  120. ↑ Georgia official dies in blast - Europe - Al Jazeera English
  121. ↑ http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5itefRLYb9OvXIY84r-iHHUPY_6pQD93TH00O0[dead link]
  122. ↑ Moscow bans military, dual-purpose exports to Georgia RIA Novosti 2008-01-19
  123. ↑ 123.0 123.1 Moscow worried by Georgian buildup near South Ossetia, Abkhazia RIA Novost 2008-01-23
  124. ↑ "Russian soldier deserts army and seeks asylum in Georgia". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2009-01-27. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/sarahmarcus/8220374/Russian_soldier_deserts_army_and_seeks_asylum_in_Georgia/. Retrieved 28 January 2009. 
  125. ↑ Russian soldier says he deserts to Georgia, International Herald Tribune (January 27, 2009)
  126. ↑ 126.0 126.1 126.2 Saving private Glukhov?, Russia Today (February 13, 2009)
  127. ↑ Russia to Georgia: Return our kidnapped soldier, Russia Today (January 28, 2009)
  128. ↑ Sorry, we couldn't serve your PDF
  129. ↑ Russia expresses concern over Georgian troops near S.Ossetia RIA Novosti 2009-02-02
  130. ↑ Statement of Amb. Zurab Tchiaberashvili, Permanent Representative of Georgia at the 1048th Meeting of Minister’s Deputies (Strasbourg, 11 February 2009)
  131. ↑ georgiandaily.com - Plan of Georgian Occupation Worked Out in the Kremlin Georgiandaily 2009-02-23
  132. ↑ Ex-Ambassador Says 'Evidence Mounting' Of New Russian Offensive In Georgia. RFE/RL. May 18, 2009
  133. ↑ (Rustavi2). Accessed 2009-08-04. Archived 2009-08-06.
  134. ↑ Civil Georgia. "(Civil)". Archived from the original on 2009-08-06. http://www.webcitation.org/5ipTWMWND. Retrieved 2009-08-04. 
  135. ↑ "(Massenger Online)". Archived from the original on 2009-08-06. http://www.webcitation.org/5ipTWnCKe. Retrieved 2009-08-04. 
  136. ↑ (AFP via Google News)
  137. ↑ "Russia and Georgia continue attacks--online | Security - CNET News". Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. http://www.webcitation.org/5ixIhEf87. Retrieved 2009-08-08. 
  138. ↑ Twitter, Facebook attack targeted one user | InSecurity Complex - CNET News Archived 7 August 2009 at WebCite
  139. ↑ "Flickr Photo Download: IMG_0721". Flickr.com. 2008-10-03. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinsblog/2909836113/sizes/I/in/set-72157607708120897/. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
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  141. ↑ "US to send $100M worth of weapons to Georgia – intelligence - RT Top Stories". Rt.com. http://www.rt.com/Top_News/2009-11-09/us-arms-georgia.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  142. ↑ "Ukraine’s "damaging" arms trade with Georgia back in spotlight - RT Top Stories". Rt.com. http://www.rt.com/Top_News/2009-10-08/ukraine-arms-trade-georgia.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  143. ↑ "Turkey arms Georgia". RT. 2009-04-01. http://www.rt.com/Politics/2009-04-01/Turkey_arms_Georgia.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  144. ↑ "U.S. Reviewing Military Aid to Georgia, Pledges to Prevent Russia From Creating 'Divide' in Europe - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum". FOXNews.com. 2008-09-09. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,419682,00.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  145. ↑ "Tensions running high on the eve of war anniversary". France24. Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20090808173410/http://www.france24.com/en/20090806-georgia-south-ossetia-russia-saakashvili-tkeshelashvili-karasin-war-anniversary-tensions. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  146. ↑ "Ukraine ‘continues to arm Georgia’ - RT Top Stories". Rt.com. 2008-11-03. http://www.rt.com/Top_News/2008-11-03/Ukraine_continues_to_arm_Georgia_.html. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
  147. ↑ RT.com
  148. ↑ Georgian drones spying on South Ossetia: Voice of Russia
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