Russian Aggression Fact Sheet

August 8 - 9, 2008

12:40 Second bombing of Kopitnari Airport.
11:00 Kopitnari Airport, near Kutaisi 260 west from Tbilisi outside the conflict zone, was bombed.
10:22 Russian air force continues to bomb Gori, located 60 kilometers northwest from Tbilisi and is outside the conflict zone.
10:20 One more Russian military airplane is shot down in Gori, located 60 kilometers northwest from Tbilisi and is outside the conflict zone. The pilot is being sought by Georgian forces.
The entire 58th Russian Army, located in the North Caucasus, enters the South Ossetia region. They are engaged in battle with the Georgian army in Tskhinvali, which is in the conflict zone and 92 kilometers northwest from Tbilisi.
01:20 Gatchiani in the Gardabani districts was bombarded, which is 20 kilometers southeast of Tbilisi and outside the conflict zone and is also close to the BTC pipeline, but the pipeline is not damaged.
01:00 Poti was bombarded a second time, which is located on the Black Sea coast, 260 kilometers west from Tbilisi, is outside the conflict zone and is a pure civilian target.
00:34 Person calling himself “Armen” calls the 022 Patrol Police number and says a bomb is planted in President’s Residence. He also says the new President Administration and Ministry of Internal Affair buildings will soon be bombarded.
00:20 Vaziani airfield is bombed again, which is 2-3 kilometers from Tbilisi International Airport and is located outside the conflict zone.
00:17 Lightening bombs are dropped on Senaki military base, which is 213 kilometers west of Tbilisi and is outside the conflict zone. 1 serviceman and 5 reservists were reported killed. The railway station in Senaki is also bombed and eight are killed.
00:12 Poti port, which is located on the Black Sea coast, 260 kilometers west from Tbilisi, is outside the conflict zone and is a pure civilian target, is bombed heavily.
22:40 According to Ministry of Defense, Russian planes violated Georgian airspace a total of 22 times.
22:15 The type and place of Russian planes taken down during the day not located yet.
21:45 Policemen and reservists who were surrounded in the Znauri school bulding, five kilometers west of Tskinvali, are rescued by government forces.
21:11 The separatist authorities claim to have altogether 1400 people dead and wounded. At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense announces that there are 10 dead among Russian “peacekeepers”.
20:30 After severe clashes in Tskinvali, Georgian forces start to withdraw from the center of the town, holding their positions at its southern outskirts. Russian tanks enter the eastern part of Tskinvali.
19:20 2 Russian planes pass over Ambrolauri, which is 170 kilometers northwest of Tbilisi and is outside the conflict zone.
19:18 5 Russian airplanes were shot down during the day. Last one is shot down at approximately 19:00 near Tskhinvali.
18:45 Georgian Gori artillery brigade is bombarded by 5 Russian airplanes.
18:44 A motorcade of Russian tanks, armored vehicles and trucks loaded with different kinds of weapons reach Tskinvali by the Dzara by-pass road, 2 kilometers west of Tskinvali. The Russians opens intensive fire towards Georgian forces located in Tskinvali and on the neighboring heights. A second motorcade, which also came from Russia via the Roki tunnel, is stopped near the Georgian government controlled area of Dmenisi, 7 kilometers north of Tskinvali, and Russians open heavy fire toward Georgian forces.
18:32 Frone gorge, northeat of Tskinvali, is under intensive artillery fire by Russian forces. Villages Avnevi and Phrisi, in the Tskinvali region, are bombarded by Russian military aircraft.
17:35 Marneuli military airbase, 20 kilometers south of Tbilisi and outside the conflict zone, is bombed for the third time resulting in 1 death and 4 injured. As a result of three bombings, three grounded AN-2 type planes and military vehicles stationed there are destroyed.
17:00 Marneuli military airbase is bombed for the second time causing casualties.
16.30 Russian aviation bombs Marneuli and Bolnisi military airbases, 20 kilometers and 35 kilometers south of Tbilisi respectively. Two aircrafts were destroyed on ground. Also several buildings were destroyed and there are casualties.
16:03Two Russian planes enter Georgian airspace from the North. One more flies over Djava. Two more fly across the border near Chechnya.
By 16:00 about 40 officers of Criminal Police and Reservists are trapped in Znauri school.
15:30 Ossetian separatists destroyed 3 Georgian tanks at Dzari by-pass road.
15:05 Russian military plane enters Georgia from the direction of Tedzami, just south of Gori, and drop two bombs on the Vaziani military airport and turned back.
14.30 Almost 100% of Tskhinvali is controlled by Georgian forces. Just several small groupings are still resisting.
14.15 Georgian government announces a ceasefire from 15.00 till 18.00 to let civilian population leave Tskhinvali. Separatists are also offered amnesty and humanitarian aid if they surrender.
13:00 Part of Thskinvali is controlled by Georgian army and fighting continues in the center. The civilian population does not resist. They are ordered to stay inside their houses.
12.05 One Su-24 enters Georgian air space from Russia and remained over Tskhinvali till 12.15.
By 12.00 Eight Georgians (6 military and 2 civilians) have died and 87 are injured. 1 military truck with ammunition was destroyed.
11:45 Emergency Service of Civil Aviation report receiving a signal from a crashed flying object (presumably Russian fighter plane) near Iuri range, 17 km south from Gori.
11.45: Four Su-24 Russian jet enter Georgia from the direction of Stepantsminda (Kazbeg), northeast of the Roki tunnel and outside of the conflict zone. Two of them pass Tbilisi and make two circles around Marneuli. The other two make a circle above Gudauri.
10:57: Two of the six Russian aircraft drop three bombs in Gori. One of these fell near the stadium, the second near Gorijvari slope and third near a artillery brigade.
10.50: Six Su-24 fighter planes enter from the Roki pass.
10.30 Russian Su-24 bombs the village of Variani in the Kareli district, 75 kilometers west of Tbilisi and outside the conflict zone. Seven civilians were injured as a result.
9.45: A Russian military fighter plane drops about 3-5 bombs near the village of Shavshvebi, on the highway between Poti and Tbilisi and is 300-500 meters from Georgian military radar.
By 9:00 Georgian Forces control the villages of Gromi, Artsevi, Tsinagara, Znauri, Sarabuki, Khetagurovo, Atotsi, Kvemo Okuna, Dmenisi, Muguti and Didmukha.
8:00: First group of Russian troops together with Gufta Bridge are destroyed by a Georgian aerial bombardment. Later two more groups of Russian troops enter South Ossetia through the Roki tunnel, which connects Russia and Georgia, but could not cross the Gufta Bridge which was destroyed and moved by the Geri-Dmenisi road.
5:30: First Russian troops enter through Roki tunnel South Ossetia, passed Java, crossed Gufta bridge and moved by Dzara road towards Tskhinvali.
By 4:28: Georgian armed forces are in control of six villages in the Tskhinvali region: Muguti, Dmenisi, Didmukha, Okona, Akut and Kohati. It is also reported that Georgian forces entered the village of Khetagurovo.
2:45: Reports are received of Georgian troops occupying the villages of Didmukha, Muguti and Dmenisi.