Russo-Georgian War

Overview

The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia, was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the Russian-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The fighting took place in the strategically important South Caucasus region. It is regarded as the first European war of the 21st century.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Russo-Georgian War of August 2008 was fought between Russia and Russian-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on one side, and Georgia on the other, in the strategically important South Caucasus region. Russia fielded a force of approximately 70,000 against a Georgian military of 10,000–11,000, with Georgian casualties recorded at 1,174. The conflict is regarded as the first European war of the 21st century, marking a significant rupture in post-Cold War security assumptions on the continent. Russian military intervention in support of South Ossetian and Abkhazian separatists demonstrated a willingness to use conventional force to contest the sovereignty of a neighboring state and underscored the continued strategic importance of the South Caucasus as a zone of great-power competition.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (24)