"We didn't want this war" – Three Presidents of South Ossetia on the events of August 2008
Anniversary of the August war
In South Ossetia, the 15th anniversary of the five-day August War of 2008 is being observed.
The current President of South Ossetia, Alan Gagloyev, his predecessor Anatoly Bibilov, who personally took part in the battles, and another former president, Eduard Kokoity, who was in power during the war, have shared their assessments of those events.
Alan Gagloyev:
“Today our somber memories have once again brought us together to reflect on the tragic events of the August days in 2008, when Georgian forces unleashed the flames of war upon the land of Ossetia for the second time. In the night of August 7th to 8th, Georgian troops initiated a ferocious bombardment of Tskhinvali with heavy artillery and rocket systems. From the very first moments of the attack, Russian peacekeepers and Ossetian fighters fiercely resisted the Georgian aggressor.”
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The tragic events were also addressed by the former presidents of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, who was in power during the war, and Anatoly Bibilov, who actively participated in the defense of Tskhinvali.
Eduard Kokoity remarked:
“Neither South Ossetia nor the Russian Federation wanted this war. We tried to avoid escalating the situation in every possible way. However, at that time, forces in Georgia came to power with a disposition for war. I also want to say that Russia conducted a unique peacekeeping operation. Our people endured this heavy ordeal thanks to Russia.”
Anatoly Bibilov said:
“Today, as we recall the events of the recent past, pain pierces the heart, and before our eyes flash the horrifying scenes of the recent lightning-fast, but no less blood-soaked war, which claimed the lives of numerous citizens of South Ossetia and Russia. The result of treacherous Georgian aggression and the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe became pain and suffering, shattered destinies, complex and prolonged rehabilitation of the Ossetian people… We remember all those who sacrificed their lives on the altar of victory. Glory to the living heroes! We will never forget August 2008.”
According to Vice-Speaker of the South Ossetian Parliament, Petru Gassiev, “The South Ossetians owe their physical existence to Russia, and we must always remember that.”
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