Translated material
Chronicle of the war
Prologue April 30, 2008 - an additional contingent of paratroopers (from the Novorossiysk division of the Airborne Forces) was introduced into Abkhazia.
On May 14–31 , helicopter pilots of the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense (the aircraft of this army fought in Georgia) at the training camp in Nalchik conducted intensive training in high-altitude combat operations: takeoff and landing, landing, evacuation of the wounded, fire support.
May 31 - Russia brought railway troops into Abkhazia, which by the end of July restored the Sukhumi-Ochamchira railway.
June 16-26 - exercises of the Zelenchuk mountain rifle brigade of the North Caucasus Military District: practicing actions "in unfamiliar terrain" and at a great distance from the point of permanent deployment.
June 30 - July 5 - North Caucasus Military District troops, along with the border troops of the FSB and parts of the internal troops, participate in a large-scale exercise to practice "reconnaissance and search actions" in a mountainous and wooded area near the zone of a future conflict.
July 15 - August 2 - a large-scale "anti-terrorist" exercise "Kavkaz-2008" was held on the territory of the North Caucasus Military District. According to official figures, 8,000 military personnel and about 700 armored vehicles were involved in the exercises. The main actions were deployed in the area of the Mamison and Roksky passes.
July 25 - a special-purpose medical detachment (MOSN), having deployed a field hospital in the area of the 58th Army's "Tarskoye" training ground, capable of receiving 300 wounded daily, having completed training tasks, remains at the training ground until the start of the war for "medical examination of residents."
August 5 - The Black Sea Fleet Marine Corps regiment stationed in the Crimea was put on full alert for a muster-campaign: formally, for the next landing exercise "on an unequipped coast."
August 7 - The press service of the North Caucasus Military District informed that "in accordance with the plan for combat training of units of the 58th Army" a "camp gathering of artillery units" was being held at the "Tarskoye" training ground with "the maximum involvement of personnel and military equipment."
War
8 August
00.06 The government of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia: from the Georgian villages of Nikozi and Ergneti, shelling of Tskhinvali began from “grad” installations, howitzers and large-caliber mortars. Early morning, chronicle of Gia Dzhanderia, vice-president of the New Economic School in Tbilisi: South Ossetian gangs and Russian peacekeepers opened massive fire on Georgian peacekeepers.
00.42 The commander of the Georgian peacekeepers, Mamuka Kurashvili, called the military operation in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict "establishing constitutional order in South Ossetia."
02.08 Georgia notified the peacekeepers about the beginning of the war in South Ossetia.
02.37 President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council.
03.46 President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity: "The Georgian army has launched a tank attack on the southern outskirts of Tskhinvali."
04.28 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: for the first time in response to the entry of Russian armed forces into the territory of Georgia, the Georgian military enters the conflict zone.
06.49 Abkhazia moves troops to the border with Georgia.
09.23 Georgian media announced the capture of Tskhinvali.
10.21 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: 7 civilians were injured by bombs dropped by Russian Su-24s on the village of Variani, 75 km from Tbilisi.
10.33 Presidents of North and South Ossetia Taimuraz Mamsurov and Eduard Kokoity refuted reports about the capture of Tskhinvali by Georgian troops.
10.39 Georgia announced the bombing of its territory by the Russian Air Force.
11.09 Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Timur Yakobashvili: “Resistance is pointless. It only leads to great sacrifices.”
11.10 The President of Georgia announced the general mobilization of reservists.
11.48 Saakashvili demanded that Russia stop the bombing of Georgian cities and "before the whole world" accused Russia of military aggression.
12.10 The first channel of Russian television: the Georgian army captured the center of Tskhinvali.
12.36 Command of the Russian peacekeeping forces: purposeful fire is being conducted to destroy the peacekeepers in Tskhinvali.
13.37 "Georgia Online": "A large grouping of the 58th army tried to break into South Ossetia."
14.30 Mayor of Tbilisi: “From 15.00 to 18.00 a moratorium on hostilities will be announced in South Ossetia. Refugees will be able to leave the conflict zone through the corridor created in the village of Ergneti.” Commander of the Russian peacekeepers Marat Kulakhmetov: "The words about the creation of a humanitarian corridor are another lie of the Georgian side."
15.05 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: a Russian plane bombs the Vaziani airfield on the outskirts of Tbilisi.
15.06 First Channel: South Ossetian troops launched a counteroffensive and unblocked the Zar road, a column of Russian troops is moving along it.
15.52 Authorities of South Ossetia: militias destroyed four Georgian tanks.
16.00 Georgian authorities: if the information about the introduction of Russian tanks into South Ossetia is confirmed, we will declare war on Russia.
16.14 Russian tanks entered Tskhinvali.
18.06 Channel One: two tank columns of the 58th Army rounded Tskhinvali along the Zar road and began shelling the positions of the Georgian military.
21.03 Eduard Kokoity: "At least 1,400 people became victims of the shelling and storming of Tskhinvali."
22.40 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: according to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Russian planes invaded Georgian airspace 22 times.
August 9
02.01 Georgia announced the evacuation of strategic facilities from Tbilisi.
07.19 The units of the 58th Army of the Russian Ministry of Defense took up positions near Tskhinvali and began preparations for the operation "to enforce peace."
09.50 Dmitry Medvedev announced the start of an operation to force Georgia to peace.
10.35 Georgian Foreign Ministry: Russian aircraft bombed the port in Poti. The port is completely destroyed.
11.50 Russian Ministry of Defense: units of the 58th Army completely liberated Tskhinvali from the Georgian military.
14.41 Novosti-Georgia: the Russian Air Force attacked the Kodori Gorge near the border of Abkhazia.
15.20 Martial law has been declared in Georgia for a period of 15 days.
16.15 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: Russia is gathering the fleet to the Georgian coast.
16.35 President of Abkhazia Bagapsh: "Abkhazian troops carried out rocket and bomb attacks on the place of concentration of Georgian troops in the Kodori Gorge."
19.00 Georgia: The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation transfers forces to the coast of Abkhazia.
20.38 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called on the Georgian authorities to immediately stop the aggression against South Ossetia.
23.51 Azerbaijan has suspended the transit of its oil through Georgia since August 9. Georgian authorities: the entire transit of oil through the territory of the country is in the same volume.
10th of August
01.21 BP representatives: we know nothing about the bombing of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline by Russian aircraft. The oil pipeline has not been operating since August 6, but this is not connected with the events in South Ossetia.
06.43 Georgian authorities: ships of the Russian Navy are in the Abkhazian port of Ochamchira.
12.41 Georgian Foreign Ministry: Tskhinvali is under the control of the Russian army.
17.13 The official representative of the President of Abkhazia, Christian Bzhaniya: Abkhaz troops continue to carry out air and artillery strikes on Georgian positions in the upper part of the Kodori Gorge.
22.30 Russian ships sank a Georgian military boat.
11th August
01.22 Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs: Russian artillery began intensive shelling of the city of Gori. The Russian Air Force attacked the suburbs of Tbilisi.
10.10 Georgian Foreign Ministry: 50 Russian bombers appeared in the sky over Tbilisi.
13.02 Georgia Online: Russian submarines off the coast of Abkhazia.
13.52 General Staff of the Russian Federation: Saakashvili's statements about the ceasefire are a hoax.
13.58 FSB: nine agents of the Georgian special services were detained in Russia.
14.05 Russian General Staff: “We do not bomb oil pipelines. Such strikes can lead to severe environmental consequences.”
15.46 Georgia resumed shelling of South Ossetia after the signing of a ceasefire agreement by Mikheil Saakashvili.
17.00 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: Russian peacekeepers occupied Zugdidi.
17.40 Georgian Foreign Ministry: Russian troops advanced 40 kilometers deep into Georgia.
19.07 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: two companies of the East and West GRU special forces battalions stationed in Chechnya were deployed to South Ossetia.
21.54 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said that Russian troops control most of the country's territory.
12th of August
00.31 Prime Minister of Georgia Vladimir Gurgenidze: Russian troops entered the territory of Poti. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation denied this message.
02.05 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: Russia is bombing Kaspi, a city 30 km from Tbilisi.
13.00 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced the completion of the peace enforcement operation in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
14.10 The General Staff of the Russian Federation: the operation of the Georgian troops to seize South Ossetia was called "Clear Field".
18.35 Russia and France adopted a document on 6 principles for the settlement of the conflict.
20.30 The General Staff of Abkhazia: the operation in the Kodori Gorge is completed.
August 13
02.50 From the plan for the settlement of the crisis, developed by Russia and France, the item on the beginning of the discussion of the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia has disappeared.
04.19 Vakhtang Kikabidze refused to accept the Russian Order of Friendship.
15.59 AFP news agency: a convoy of 60 Russian armored vehicles, consisting of tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks, was seen 10 kilometers from Gori and was moving in the direction of Tbilisi.
August 14
12.00 Chronicle of Gia Janderia: Russian troops again took the Georgian port of Poti.
13.44 Presidents of the unrecognized republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia Eduard Kokoity and Sergey Bagapsh, in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, signed six principles for resolving the conflict with Georgia.
August 15
19.25 Mikheil Saakashvili signed an agreement on a ceasefire in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
August 16
00.50 Mikheil Saakashvili: Russian tanks occupied the cities of Khashuri and Borjomi in the central part of Georgia
03.22 Two members of the US House of Representatives intend to demand from the International Olympic Committee a ban on the holding of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.
12.49 Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, Colonel Igor Konashenkov: Russia took 44 Georgian tanks as trophies.
14.56 President Dmitry Medvedev signed a plan for a peaceful settlement in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
August 17
01.22 Georgian Foreign Ministry: the Abkhaz military, with the support of Russian troops, seized the territory around the hydroelectric power station on the Inguri River and 13 villages in the surrounding areas.
10.39 Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces, Major General Vyacheslav Borisov: Russia has begun the withdrawal of troops from South Ossetia. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation denied this.
August 18
00.45 Representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees arrived in Gori on Sunday, August 17.
01.47 Eduard Kokoity dismissed the government of the unrecognized republic.
11.15 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, in his address to the nation, announced his readiness to negotiate with Moscow, but only in the event of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country's territory.
19.32 Dmitry Medvedev presented awards in Vladikavkaz to 30 servicemen of the 58th Army who distinguished themselves during the military operation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
August 19
10.56 Russia and Georgia exchanged prisoners.
August 22 Dmitry Medvedev: Russia will withdraw most of its peacekeepers in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict to the temporary security zone by August 22.
August 20
05.59 Russian troops began to withdraw from the Georgian city of Gori.
August 21
17.10 The people's gathering of the inhabitants of South Ossetia appealed to the President and Parliament of the Russian Federation with a request to recognize the independence of the republic.
19.59 Russia terminates military cooperation with NATO countries.
20.00 Russia is going to keep troops in the security zone around South Ossetia. There will be established 8 control points where 500 Russian peacekeepers will be stationed.
August 22
06.48 The UN Security Council refused to approve the Russian draft resolution on Georgia.
12.53 South Ossetia estimated the damage from the hostilities at 100 billion rubles.