This week marked the 10th anniversary of Georgia's aggression at South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Resting Tskhinvali was massively shelled on the night of August 8, 2008. The Georgian troops attacked peaceful neighborhoods by firing with Grad systems at random and indiscriminately. The missiles hit blocks of flats and the school, the parliament and streets. At the dawn, Georgian tanks and foot soldiers launched an offensive.
The base of Russian peacekeepers, committed to Tskhinvali by the UN, was attacked among the first. The military had to engage and hold the circular defense for about 48 hours.
Georgian army committed 12,000 troops, 3 infantry brigades, and an artillery brigade, a tank battalion and aviation against a battalion of peacekeepers and Ossetia's militia. Tskhinvali was encircled by the middle of the day, 8 settlements on its outskirts being occupied or ruined. Then the Georgian units aimed to take the strategic bridge near Gufta and the Roki Tunnel to prevent the republic from getting any possible help. Not only the Kremlin focused on the situation in South Ossetia, the attack at Russian peacekeepers, casualties among Russian citizens from the very first minutes of the conflict. Vladimir Putin, the then Chairman of the Government, discussed the issue with Bush at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
Vladimir Putin: "As you know, I was in Beijing at that time, and I could discuss it with the US president face-to-face. I told him that we couldn't get in touch with Georgia's leadership, but one of Georgian military leaders had declared a war to South Ossetia. I've already said in public that George replied to me that nobody was seeking a war. We hoped that the US administration would interfere in the conflict and stop Georgia's aggression, but we saw nothing of the kind".
Putin left Beijing for Vladikavkaz to visit the Ossetian refugees' camp.
Russian citizens' lives being endangered, Moscow had to start a peace-compelling operation against Georgia. The 58th Army units headed for Tskhinvali. The Russian aviation stroke only at military facilities and air fields. By the evening of August, 9 the capital of South Ossetia was liberated. The Russian military continued to force the Georgian units out of the peacekeeping zone. The Black Sea fleet patrolled the Abkhazian coast and blocked Poti port to prevent any attempts to launch an offensive against Sukhumi.
This week Dmitry Medvedev, the then president, explained why Russian troops hadn't advanced.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Our goal was to force the Georgian troops to retreat from Tskhinvali and to restore order. We also wanted to prevent any escalation of violence. We did not want to defeat Georgia or execute Saakashvili. Ultimately, this allowed us to calm the situation not only in Georgia, Ossetia and Abkhazia, but also to calm relations with the EU and other countries".
When Saakashvili realized that his plan had failed, he got scared. It was a pitiful sight.
Today Saakashvili claims that he didn't give an order to attack South Ossetia.
Mikhail Saakashvili, former Georgian president: "I was on my way to the Olympics, 30 minutes before the strikes I was sitting in the plane, I didn't even have a phone. The flight took 10 hours, I had no idea of what was happening at home".
Alexander Rogatkin and Alexander Sladkov are reporting from Tbilisi and Tskhinvali on why Saakashvili lies and the price to pay for these lies.
This week South Ossetia and Abkhazia commemorated the victims of the 5-day war. People lit memorial candles at the steps of Tskhinvali's parliament. These are the steps where Mariinsky Theater Orchestra conducted by legendary Valery Gergiev performed. That was a battlefield concert right after the peace-enforcement against Georgia.
Valery Gergiev, creative director of Mariinsky Theater: "They shouldn't have sent their forces to attack and bomb the civilians at night. They shouldn't have attacked the sleeping people. One can accidentally cause horrible irreparable damage".
The Georgian troops invaded Tskhinvali avoiding the peacekeepers' outposts. The street fighting started here. Russia expected such a turn of events.
Vladimir Shamanov, former commander of the Russian military group in Abkhazia: "Four months before the events, we received a secret task to visit South Ossetia and Abkhazia and assess the situation. We went there and saw that certain steps were taken especially at the Ossetian front. And that was directly leading to an armed conflict".
On August 8, two first battalions of the Russian 58th Army came to assist the Russian peacekeepers and the civilians. There was a battle. People got wounded and killed. Commander of the 58th Army General Khrulyov was wounded right here. He personally participated in the battle with a gun in his hands.
Anatoly Khrulyov, former commander of the 58th Army: "The hardest moments were the ones when I had to make a decision to conduct an operation knowing that some of my men would be killed in action".
Our crew entered Tskhinvali with the first battalion. All three Vesti journalists were injured. Major Denis Vetchinov saved us from death by covering us with his body. For ten years, people have come to the Central Cemetery to pay tribute to the soldier who died in the Five-Day War Denis Vetchinov.
Yekaterina Vetchinova, widow of the Hero of Russia: "After his friend was injured in Chechnya I was really scared and asked Denis to retire. But he said he wasn't a coward".
Ten years ago, our camera accidentally captured Major Vetchinov. Here, Denis is talking to our crew on August 8. Here, he's guiding the artillery. And here, he's detonating a Georgian tank that our troops have captured right before our eyes.
Alexey Ukhvatov, Hero of Russia, former commander of reconnaissance company: "I get chills down my spine every time I come here. It's like we're still serving together, cleaning our guns once again".
Tskhinvali and South Ossetia have definitely changed over ten years. The republic was recognized by Russia and a couple of other states. There are issues but they will be resolved eventually. What's important is that nobody's shooting here anymore.
In August 2008, Marat Kulakhmetov led the local peacekeepers. Now, he's the Russian Ambassador to South Ossetia.
Marat Kulakhmetov, Ambassador to South Ossetia: "We share our security space and defense perimeter ensuring the security of South Ossetia and the population's confidence in the future".
Exactly ten years ago the Republic of Abkhazia also saw tragic events. Violating all official agreements and commitments the Georgian troops invaded the top part of the Kodori Valley pushing the region to the very brink of war. We managed to pass through the Kodori Valley and reach one of the abandoned Georgian bases.
Harry Kupalba, former Deputy Defense Minister of Abkhazia: "Here's one of the bases located in the region. We salvaged a lot of documents here: various maps, for example, a plan to seize Abkhazia. One group was supposed to capture the airfield. The second had to capture the bridge dividing Abkhazia in two".
Each Georgian military base had American drill instructors.
— What were they teaching?
Harry Kupalba: Sniping, demolition, engineer training. They also taught them the strategy of fighting in the mountains.
Today, the Kodori Valley is a true paradise.
— Hi, we're journalists from the Russian TV. How are you doing here?
Galina Gumba: "Life's great. We're living peacefully here, everything's fine. There's no war and nobody's shooting".
Ordinary people don't want war. They recall, cry, and hope that the politicians reach a final agreement.
Pavel Vydrin, Artyom Kuznetsov, and Alexander Sladkov Vesti, Tskhinvali.
The fence is covered with intimidating plates: "Mine!" These are the fourth joint Georgian-NATO military exercises. Though, Russian press was banned from filming them. NATO troops have been deployed at this Vaziani military base which was attacked by the Russian aviation in August 2008 in an attempt to force Georgia to peace. The exercises take place at this proving ground, too. 450 armored vehicles and trucks have been shipped from Europe and the US.
— Where do the exercises take place? Yes, where is the proving ground located?
— Straightaway.
— Okay. Is all the military equipment there?
— Yes.
The exercises are dubbed "Worthy Partner". Ukraine has sent its special forces too. States which have territorial disputes cannot accede to NATO. But it promised to create fast-track mechanism for Georgia.
A riddled old Volga stands in front of Liana Chlachidze's rebuilt house. In August 2008 someone machine-gunned at this witness of Soviet times.
"My children spent that and other nights in the basement. We said: "Misha, don't start the war!"
Liana decided to arrange a museum in the basement where she and her children had hidden. She gathered shell fragments, burnt toys, photos of ruined houses and dead neighbors. She also requested from Tskhinvali the data and eye witnesses' accounts for the sake of authenticity.
Liana Chlachidze, Ergneti village resident: "Be it Georgians or Ossetians, we all bleed red. There is no alternative to the dialogue. They sent me the pictures. It was grievous to see them. I pinned them on the board because all the world should see them. War shouldn't repeat".
Early August 2008 saw the escalation of the situation at the contact line. The Georgian and South Ossetian sides exchanged mortar fire. The conflict that had simmered since the early 1990s heated up. Young and ambitious president Mikhail Saakashvili declared the restoration of constitutional order and launched an offensive against Tskhinvali.
Nino Burjanadze, Georgian president a.i. in 2003-2004 and 2007-2008: "I wasn't afraid to say that Saakashvili was to blame for that war. I was almost lynched in Georgia for that statement and was declared a betrayer of the nation. But I believe that we must tell the truth. If we want to restore relations both with Abkhazia and Ossetia, if we want to improve the relations with Russia, we must tell the truth".
There's no consensus even in Georgia over who sparked the war. Many politicians and the government still back president Saakashvili's actions.
Paata Davitaya, leader of the European Democrats party: "On August 4-5, Russian troops, started an invasion, of which we have the proof. After that, the Georgian armed forces took relevant actions".
But not all Georgians remember Saakashvili conveying to the military or the civilians any information about a Russian invasion those days.
Tristan Tsitelashvili, former Georgian officer: I have the order of the supreme commander to launch an offensive against Tskhinvali. The order was issued on August 6. It says in black and white that the 4th motor rifle brigade shall start an offensive against Tskhinvali at 5:00 on August 7.
— Is there a word about the Russian invasion?
— No. No, it doesn't say that Russia attacked Georgia.
Tristan Tsitelashvili is convinced that it's the US that instilled false confidence in Saakashvili that Russia wouldn't dare to interfere. The former Georgian officer served about 5 years in jail for high treason. The classified papers which he made public right after the war in August contain even the coordinates of Russian peacekeepers whom it was ordered to shell.
— You were supposed to fire at peacekeepers, right?
— Yes, that's what the order says: "Open fire on peacekeeping forces deployed in the city of Tskhinvali".
Mikhail Saakashvili started to prepare for that war as soon as he took office as a result of the Revolution of Roses. Back in 2006 Russian Georgians who had graduated from Soviet military academies and already left military service received letters calling on them to get back to their historical homeland. It's still unknown how somebody could know their addresses.
Georgy, former Georgian officer: "You're invited to Georgia to serve in the Army of the Republic of Georgia because you are a commissioned officer with a good background and experience, etc. P.S. If you refuse you will be declared a betrayer of the nation".
So, the former Soviet soldier ended up in the Georgian Army. He had a close call in August 2008 when his unit was bombed by the Russian aviation.
Georgy, former Georgian officer: "The truth is that no traces would have remained of Abkhazia and South Ossetia if it hadn't been for such a tough response. The operation was called "Open Country".
Georgy is hiding his face for he's been fighting for the Donetsk People's Republic as a lieutenant for 3 years. He's nicknamed "Conqueror." He can't return home. Georgia has recently extradited to Ukraine a volunteer like him.
Georgy, former Georgian officer: "He decided to go home to see his nearest and dearest. 2 weeks later he was handed over to the Ukrainian special services (SBU)".
Georgy arrived in Donbass to be closer to Saakashvili, who was appointed Odessa governor, to get his hands on him. Saakashvili is his deadly enemy, who is to blame for the death of his two brothers.
Reservist Shota Parulava welcomes us at home. He says that when the war started, he didn't hesitate to go voluntarily to the military recruiting station.
Shota Parulava: "I was eager to fight".
But his unit didn't reach the frontline. Russia launched its peace-compelling military operation. The aviation stoke at the Vaziani base where 6,000 reservists were settled.
Shota Parulava, Georgian army reservist: The pilot pointedly didn't throw the bomb at the reservists, at us.
— Why pointedly?
— I don't know, he had mercy on us, so to speak.
Young men were scared a lot. What remains of that war is the dog tag with his blood type.
Shota Parulava: "The airstrikes caused much panic. Nobody expected that".
The war is never without its cost. Civilians died both in South Ossetia and Georgia. But hadn't Russia interfered shortly, hostilities would have lasted for far more than 5 days, leaving thousands of people dead.
When the Russian Army left Gori and Saakashvili regained the authority on this territory, the president's first order was to remove the monument to Stalin who was born in this city as if it was the Father of Peoples who was to blame for the Georgian's army inglorious defeat. They tried to saw the monument up, but the steel that Stalin had been made of, proved too tough for an autogenous welder. The best thing they came up with was to throw the monument away on the corn field near an abandoned garage.
Tariel Todadze: "Some hooligans came last year and poured paint on the head. Look".
Tariel Todadze often comes here to clean Stalin from dirt and weeds. Now the Soviet leader lies facedown to the Georgian ground. Todadze calls himself a Soviet man. That's why he welcomed, if not hailed, the Russian Army in Gori.
Tariel Todadze, citizen of Gori: "They entered the city. I was standing and laughing. And the officer who stepped out of the car asked me why I was laughing. I said: "Why not? I've been long waiting for you here in Georgia." Then they came to my place, drank some glasses of wine, and it was alright".
Reservist Parulava is still determined to join the Army without hesitation if his Fatherland demands it and if the republics don't return to Georgia by peaceful means.
Reservist Parulava: "I must do it, of course. What else do I live for? I was born in Georgia".
New roofs of Tskhinvali's rebuilt blocks of flats can be seen from the village of Ergneti. There is about half a mile between them; the ultimate reconciliation between South Ossetia and Abkhazia isn't even looming. At least, nobody's shot here for the 10 past years.
Alexander Rogatkin, Valentina Rudkevich, and Konstantin Piunov especially for Vesti from Georgia
