AFP (AFP) – A ceremony was held in Georgia on the 8th to mark 15 years since Russia intervened militarily in South Ossetia, a pro-Russian region in the north of the country, in 2008. Ta.

On August 8, 2008, South Ossetian separatists shelled villages in Georgia, and the Georgian army counterattacked. In response, Russia, backed by secessionists, intervened by sending thousands of troops. During the five-day conflict, Russia temporarily granted independence to areas controlled by pro-Russian factions. There were approximately 400 casualties on the Georgian side.

“We have known for a long time that Russia is an aggressor, and the whole world knows it too,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at a memorial service in the capital Tbilisi. . The prime minister has been criticized by opposition parties for being pro-Russian.

Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who approved military intervention in South Ossetia in 2008, said on social media on the same day, “Our military will quickly destroy arrogant nationalists in five days.” He justified the intervention by saying, “We punished him severely.”

He also criticized Western countries for still supporting Georgia’s then president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He suggested that this is the same structure as Russia’s support for Ukraine during its invasion of Ukraine.

“Just like in August 2008, the enemy (Ukraine) will be crushed. Russia will achieve peace on the terms it has set itself,” he said. (c)AFP