“Our country, our people, our army, and the international community all did their utmost in every way to save Georgia,” stated Giorgi Baramidze, the political secretary of the United National Movement.

He emphasised that the heroes who sacrificed their lives for Georgia will be eternally honoured and inscribed in golden letters in the nation’s history.

“Our country, our people, our army, and the international community, each in their own way, did everything possible to save Georgia. Above all, we are here to pay tribute to the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the freedom and independence of our homeland. These brave souls will be forever remembered, their names etched in golden letters in Georgia’s history,” said Giorgi Baramidze.

It has been 17 years since the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. On August 7, 2008, separatist forces commenced intense shelling of Georgian villages, prompting a response from Georgian forces. The following day, Russian occupation troops entered the region. As a result of Russia’s military aggression against Georgia, 411 people lost their lives, approximately 130,000 citizens became IDPs in their own country, numerous villages were destroyed, and the city of Gori, along with strategic facilities, were heavily bombed. Russia continues to occupy 20 per cent of Georgia’s territory to this day.