Georgia marks the 11th anniversary of August 2008 Georgia-Russia war. Eleven years passed since the large-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation in Georgia and the illegal occupation of Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. The 20% of Georgia’s territory still remains occupied.
The war left 412 people killed including 169 soldiers, 1 747 – wounded, 130 thousand locals have been turned into Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) out of which 30 thousand still leaves as refugees.
The consequences of the war are 35 thousand houses destroyed, 5 gorges and 125 villages occupied by Russia. Georgian citizens are still forced to live beyond the artificially installed barbed wires.
Military hostilities lasted during 5 days and ended with the 2008 ceasefire agreement mediated by the international community.
Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states soon thereafter. Official Moscow continues non-fulfillment of the truce agreement for the time being.
Photos by Zurab Kurtsikidze
