The war in August 2008
August 8 at 01:30 Georgia officially declared war on South Ossetia. Georgian officials announced that Georgia "in response to provocations" had launched a military operation to "establish constitutional control" over the territory "of the Tskhinvali region of Georgia."
The armed forces of South Ossetia joined a fierce battle against the Georgian military forces on the outskirts of Tskhinval.
Intensive artillery bombardment of the civilian neighborhoods of the town and the nearby Ossetian villages was conducted with multiple launch rocket systems "Grad", as well as large-caliber guns and mortars. In the capital of the Republic broke out the street fighting. Dozens of buildings were enveloped in flames, power supply was cut off.
By the next attack on the sleeping town Georgia violated not only the cease-fire agreement until the negotiations, but also the principle of the Olympic Truce - Georgian forces used weapons of mass destruction against the civilian population on the day of opening the Olympic Games in China.
The people of South Ossetia appealed to the Russian government to take immediate steps to protect its citizens, as Georgia had committed itself to the complete destruction of the Ossetian people. South Ossetia also appealed to the international community for urgent actions to protect civilians from Georgian aggression.
Intensive bombardment of the capital prevented the delivering of the wounded to the republican hospital. The entire medical staff moved into the basement of the building.
By three o'clock in the morning there were reports of the first victims. At the same time, it became known that thousands of volunteers from North Ossetia and Abkhazia were on the way to South Ossetia
At 03:30 Georgian infantry and tanks stormed Tskhinval. By the morning the Georgian air forces emerged in the sky. About eight o'clock in the morning the first aerial bombs were dropped on Tskhinval and on the surrounding villages. Massive shelling of Tskhinval in the morning has become more intense. Much of the town was already destroyed.
8th of August, fierce street battles were being fought in the center of Tskhinval. Georgian tanks were shooting point-blank the buildings and private houses. South Ossetian forces continued to resist the Georgian forces.
By three o'clock in the afternoon resumed the airstrikes on Tskhinval. At the same time, the Georgian aviation bombed the district center of Dzau.
In the evening there were reports of more than 10 Russian peacekeepers killed and over 30 wounded.
After the political decision made by the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to launch the operation to force Georgia to peace, at about 16:00 the Russian military units moved to Tskhinval.
By six o'clock in the evening it was announced that South Ossetian forces, together with the volunteers ousted the Georgian troops from some quarters of Tskhinval and from the Zar road, along which were fleeing the civilians. By 18:30 the Russian armored vehicles entered the northern outskirts of the capital.
The hope to the inhabitants of South Ossetia gave the statement of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev at an emergency meeting of the Security Council, ran that those responsible for the death of the Russian citizens would be punished.
