South Ossetia

·         On August 11, 2008 Russian PM Vladimir Putin sharply criticised the US, saying its support for Georgia in the conflict over the separatist region South Ossetia displayed a cynical cold war mentality.

Mission IAS’2009

·         On August 8, 2008 Russia sent tanks and troops to South Ossetia after Georgia launched a major military offensive to reclaim the breakaway republic, triggering heavy street fighting .. worst outbreak of hostilities since the pro-Moscow province won de-facto independence in a war against Georgia in 1992 broke out after Georgian artillery and air assault hit provincial capital Tskhinvali.

·         NewsGeorgia web news portal confirmed that at least 100 tanks and armoured vehicles have crossed through the Roksky Tunnel linking Russian and Georgian parts of Ossetia partitioned by former Russian leader Joseph Stalin in North and South Ossetia.

·         South Ossetian separatist leader Eduard Kokoity claimed hundreds of civilians had been killed.

·         The fighting broke out as world’s attention was focused on Olympic Games opening ceremony and top leaders, including Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin were in Beijing.

·         Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who had earlier claimed that the government troops have “liberated” South Ossetia, accused Russia of being the aggressor and said it has sent aircraft to bomb Georgian territory.

·         Addressing an emergency session of the national security council, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would punish those guilty of killing Russians in South Ossetia.

·         Over 90 per cent population of South Ossetia, which declared its independence from Georgia after Soviet collapse, are Russian passport holders.

·         Medvedev said Russia would remain a guarantor of security in the Caucasus, in a reference to Tbilisi’s demands that Russian troops pull out from the conflict zones.