Questions about 8/8/8 remain unanswered

Six years have past since the August War of 2008. Multiple commissions have been studying the details of the war. All of them come to certain conclusions. Many people recorded their opinions and memories about the war, revealing various details. However, there are still many questions to be answered. The public is not satisfied with the current answers, as several issues remain confidential.

The Georgian people want to know why we surrendered Kodori Gorge, and why did we fail to protect it through our forces? Why didn’t the Georgian army fight in Akhalgori? Who is responsible for Georgian tanks, armored vehicles and weapons that were taken by the Russians? Why didn't Georgian leaders warn the civilians in due time to evacuate when it became clear that Russians occupied our territories?

Currently, the Georgian Armed Forces have many problems owing to the war fought under the previous administration.

The most crucial question is: who started the war? The EU commission chaired by Heidi Tagliavini did not identify the exact issue. Prior to the war, Russia carried out various provocative steps, including increasing the weaponry to the region, as well as distributing Russian passports to the people living in the area. It was not identified either if the Saakashvili government was really trapped by the Russians.

In fact, this war was in the interests of Russia, as the country reinforced its position in the Caucasus after the military attack on Georgia. The international community realized the Russian plans only when Russia committed the same in terms of Ukraine in 2014.

Of course, Ukraine is bigger than Georgia is, and the West is more concerned about Russian intentions. Now the West is starting to understand the large scale of Russia’s goals.

Besides Ukraine, there is an acute situation in the South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the edge of confrontation. All the developments can be defined in a single concept – Russia’s attempt to recover its position in the post-Soviet space and to restore something similar to the Soviet Union.

It will be revealed soon if the West manages to face the challenge or not…