Russia's attack on Georgia in 2008 was the first large-scale manifestation of the Kremlin's new imperial policy, which sent a clear signal of its desire to forcibly change borders and undermine stability in the region. This is stated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in connection with the 17th anniversary of the beginning of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Georgia, reports UNN.
Details
It is noted that the subsequent aggression against Ukraine was a direct continuation of this policy.
17 years ago, the Russian Federation grossly violated the norms of international law by committing an act of armed aggression against a sovereign state - Georgia. As a result of this aggression, about 20% of Georgia's territory came under the illegal control of Russian occupation forces. More than 200,000 Georgian citizens were forced to leave their homes, becoming internally displaced persons in their own country
It is also indicated that today the humanitarian situation in the territories of Georgia occupied by Russia is deteriorating: the aggressor country not only restricts freedom of movement in the occupation zone, but also actively uses illegal detentions and arrests of civilians in these regions.
Ukraine unswervingly supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders, resolutely condemns the Kremlin's aggressive policy and does not recognize the so-called "independence" of the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia
They added that Russia must withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Georgia in accordance with the 2008 ceasefire agreement and revoke its recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as "independent states."
"We are convinced that only through the consolidated efforts of the international community, strict adherence to international law and the introduction of tough sanctions can Russia be forced to leave the occupied territories of Ukraine and Georgia and bring Russian war criminals to the strictest accountability," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.
Recall
The day before, in Tbilisi, several thousand people joined a march on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the beginning of the Russian-Georgian war. The march started from Heroes' Square, where a monument to those who died for the territorial integrity and freedom of the country is installed.
For reference
The August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia lasted five days. On the Georgian side, 408 people died, including 170 servicemen, 14 police officers, and 224 civilians. More than 2,200 people were wounded, of whom more than a thousand were military personnel.
As a result of the conflict, about 26,000 residents of Georgian villages were forced to leave their homes. Taking into account refugees from Abkhazia in the 1990s, the total number of internally displaced persons in Georgia exceeded 263,000 people.