War over South Ossetia
5-DAY WAR OVER SOUTH OSSETIA
In August 7th 2008 tensions over South Ossetia, which violently separated from Georgia in 1992, escalated in short but bloody 5-day war. The Ossetian side, supported by the Russian army pushed Georgia's army from South Ossetia and continued its advance deep into Georgia territory.
The small regional conflict quickly turned into a major stand-off between Russia and the West. Old language of the cold war re-appeared in international head-lines.
Thousands of Georgians and Ossetians fled their homes in first days of hostilities. Eventually Russia took control over South Ossetia and declared it support for independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Georgians lost all the territory of South Ossetia it controlled before the war.
While most Ossetians returned to their homes, many Georgian villages within South Ossetia were completely destroyed and there are no homes to return to. About 31,000 Georgians from those villages are not expected to return. South Ossetian de facto leader Eduard Kokoity, declared that each refugee who wants to return will be welcomed but first must give up Georgian citizenship and take South Ossetian.
I covered that war from Georgian side where there were no limitaions on movement of journalists. Few times I talked to Russian Army in Gori about possibility to go and photograph what happen on the Ossetian side. I was refused because I didn't have Russian visa and accreditation .Only on August 21 -Russians allowed some foreign journalists to visit Tskhinvali without Russian visa .However our movemnet was limited to places designated by Russian Army ,where for limited time we could work on our own.
Aug. 8 , 2008
Russian Peacekeepers Check point by Ergneti -few km. before Tskhinvali was abandoned on the second day of war.
On the previous evening Georgian announced cease-fire but shelling of Georgian villages continued during that time and Georgian Government decided to "restore constitutional order" .Georgian Army start shelling Tskhinvali and moving into Ossetian controlled territories.
