During the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, South Ossetia faced genuine state terrorism from Georgia, Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev told RIA Novosti .
He has emphasized that under Saakashvili, Georgia exerted enormous pressure on the republic. He cited the creation of the "temporary administration" in South Ossetia by the Georgian authorities as the example of this policy.
"The country was effectively subjected to state terrorism, carried out by Georgia," the Minister said.
On the night of August 8, 2008, Georgia fired Grad multiple rocket launchers at South Ossetia. Georgian forces attacked the Republic and destroyed its capital, Tskhinval. Russia, protecting the residents of South Ossetia, many of whom were Russian citizens, sent troops into the Republic and, after five days of fighting, drove out the Georgian forces.
On August 26 of that year, Moscow recognized the sovereignty of South Ossetia and another former Georgian autonomous region, Abkhazia. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that this recognition reflects the existing realities and is not subject to revision. Georgia still does not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia and considers them its own regions.
