Battle of Tskhinvali

Battle context

The Battle of Tskhinvali was the sole major ground engagement of the Russo-Georgian War and determined its military outcome. Georgian forces entered the South Ossetian capital on 8 August 2008 and, after three days of fighting against South Ossetian militia and Russian troops, withdrew on the evening of 10 August. By 11 August, all Georgian forces had left South Ossetia entirely, and Russian columns advanced into undisputed Georgian territory without resistance. The battle effectively ended Georgian military operations in South Ossetia and consolidated Russian and South Ossetian control over the breakaway region, making the subsequent ceasefire negotiations a matter of formalizing facts already established on the ground.