\n Ten years ago, in August 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over South Ossetia, a small separatist Georgian region which Moscow would later controversially recognise as independent, in the face of international criticism.\n<\/p>\n
\n Here is a recap of the five-day war in South Ossetia, a territory of 50,000 people which remains one of several sticking points in Russia's ties with the West.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Build up to war -\n<\/p>\n
\n In April 2008 Russia angers Georgia by announcing it is bolstering ties with its rebel provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are on the Russian border.\n<\/p>\n
\n Tensions rise as Georgia accuses Russia of seeking to annex the provinces, which account for around one-fifth of its territory.\n<\/p>\n
\n Moscow is meanwhile annoyed by Tbilisi's ambitions to join NATO and the European Union.\n<\/p>\n
\n There are clashes in South Ossetia on an almost daily basis; Tbilisi and South Ossetian separatist forces are blamed but both deny responsibility.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Russian troops enter Georgia -\n<\/p>\n
\n Overnight on August 7-8 the Georgian army launches an offensive to retake control of South Ossetia, bombarding the regional capital, Tskhinvali.\n<\/p>\n
\n Russia immediately riposts.\n<\/p>\n
\n On the morning of August 8, Russian tanks, light armoured vehicles and personnel carriers sweep into South Ossetia en masse.\n<\/p>\n
\n The aim is, according to Russia, to \"defend its citizens\", the great majority of Ossetians holding a Russian passport.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Russians bombard Georgian positions around Tskhinvali and also the town of Gori in Georgia.\n<\/p>\n
\n By August 10 Tskhinvali is under Russian army control. Georgia announces a withdrawal of its forces from South Ossetia and a ceasefire.\n<\/p>\n
\n A day later, Russia bombards Gori, the Black Sea port of Poti and the suburbs of Tbilisi. Georgia says most of its territory is \"occupied\".\n<\/p>\n
\n Images of triumphant Russian troops in the gun-turrets of their tanks or waving flags on Georgian soil are beamed around the world.\n<\/p>\n
\n The lightning conflict claimed 800 lives, according to official tolls from the various sides, with more than 120,000 fleeing their homes.\n<\/p>\n
\n Human Rights Watch says in 2009 that South Ossetian forces \"deliberately and systematically destroyed ethnic Georgian villages\".\n<\/p>\n
\n A 2009 report by an EU fact-finding mission alleges ethnic cleansing against Georgians.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Europeans weigh in -\n<\/p>\n
\n European nations, unanimous in wanting to extinguish the flames in the Caucasus region, condemn the Russian intervention while keeping their distance from Tbilisi's own offensive.\n<\/p>\n
\n On August 12 the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, negotiates a ceasefire on behalf of the European Union.\n<\/p>\n
\n It involves the return of Georgian troops to their barracks and Russian troops to positions they held before the conflict.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, signs on August 15 and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev a day later.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Disputed recognition -\n<\/p>\n
\n On August 26 Russia recognises the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the first among only a handful of countries to do so.\n<\/p>\n
\n Saakashvili slams the \"first attempt since World War II to change the borders of Europe by force\".\n<\/p>\n
\n The United States and other Western countries also condemn Russia.\n<\/p>\n
\n On August 29 Tbilisi severs its diplomatic ties with Moscow.\n<\/p>\n
\n In October Russian troops wind up their pullout from Georgia but remain in the separatist regions, maintaining thousands of soldiers and lending financial support.\n<\/p>\n
\n The EU sends a civilian ceasefire monitoring mission.\n<\/p>\n
\n - War crimes probe -\n<\/p>\n
\n In mid-2015 NATO opens a training centre outside the Georgian capital, at Krtsanisi, a move Russia slams as \"provocative\".\n<\/p>\n
\n And in early 2016 the International Criminal Court (ICC) opens an ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by all sides during the conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ten years ago, in August 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over South Ossetia, a small separatist Georgian region which Moscow would later controversially recognise as independent, in the face of international criticism. Here is a recap of the five-day war in South Ossetia, a territory of 50,000 people which remains one of several […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-38297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n