European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia
- Duration
- 1 October 2008 - 1 January 2009
- Military personnel
- 2
- Fatalities
- none
- Decorations
- none
In the night of 7-8 August 2008, the Georgian army sent troops into the separatist region of South Ossetia. Neighbouring Russia responded immediately with a counterattack on 2 fronts. On 9 August, the Russian army advanced against the Georgian army in South Ossetia and at the same time deployed units in Abkhazia, another area which had seceded from Georgia.
On 9 August, the Russian army advanced against the Georgian army in South Ossetia and at the same time deployed units in Abkhazia, another area which had seceded from Georgia. Within 5 days, the Russian army, supported by South Ossetian militias, managed to force the Georgian armed forces to retreat. It occupied a number of strategic bridgeheads past the border between South Ossetia and Georgia, with the claimed purpose of creating a security zone.
Russian army
The Russian army also occupied a security zone in the Abkhazian-Georgian border area. On behalf of the European Union (EU), the French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, managed to force an agreement on 12 August, which was to bring an end to the hostilities. After a number of sensitive issues had been resolved in supplementary agreements and the EU had deployed a monitoring mission, Russia began to withdraw its troops from the security zones.
Status remains bone of contention
The status of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia remained a bone of contention. Both regions aspired to independence. Russia supported those aspirations, whereas NATO and the EU sided with Georgia. The Georgian government maintained that South Ossetia and Abkhazia were autonomous regions within Georgia.