Battle of Tskhinvali

Movements of opposing forces around Tskhinvali. Blue arrows show Georgian movements, red show Russian movements

Date	8–11 August 2008
Location	Tskhinvali, Georgia
Result	Strategic Russian victory Georgian withdrawal

Belligerents

Georgia

Russia

South Ossetia

Commanders and leaders

Anatoly Khrulyov (WIA)

Marat Kulakhmetov

Sulim Yamadayev

Kazbek Friev

Anatoly Barankevich

Vasiliy Lunev

Strength

10,000–11,000 soldiers in the entire South Ossetia

496 from Russian battalion, 488 from North Ossetia serving as peacekeepers.
Up to 10,000 troops arrived from Russia as reinforcements

Up to 3,500 troops.

Casualties and losses

Fewer than 169 killed, 1 missing in action (total during the war)

67 killed, 3 missing in action
fewer than 283 wounded (total during the war)

Ministry of Defense: 26 KIA,
Ministry of Internal Affairs: 6 KIA,
Volunteers:
around 50 KIA

The Battle of Tskhinvali (Georgian: ცხინვალის ბრძოლა; Russian: Бои за Цхинвали) was a fight for the city of Tskhinvali, capital of South Ossetia. It was the only major battle in the Russo-Georgian War. Georgian ground troops entered the city on early 8 August 2008, after an artillery assault. Their advance was stopped by South Ossetian militia and members of the Russian peacekeeping force stationed in the city. Russian combat troops began entering South Ossetia through the Roki tunnel. After being initially forced to withdraw, the Georgian troops made several attempts to retake the city. Due to the difficult logistics of the terrain, the arrival of Russian reinforcements was slow. After fierce fighting, Georgian troops were finally forced to withdraw from the city on the evening of 10 August. On 11 August, all Georgian troops left South Ossetia. Parts of Tskhinvali were devastated in the three-day fighting.

Tskhinvali is located about 25 km (16 mi) from Gori. On 7 August 2008, the Georgian authorities received foreign intelligence reports about movement of Russian troops towards the Roki tunnel. According to multiple Georgian sources, at approximately 11 PM Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili received information that a convoy of over 100 Russian military vehicles was passing through the Roki tunnel. According to Der Spiegel, the Georgian tanks were to advance to the Roki Tunnel to seal it off. The Georgian aircraft's target was only the Gupta bridge, which links the northern part of South Ossetia to its southern part where Tskhinvali is located.

The Georgian forces deployed on the South Ossetian border on 7 August included the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades, the Artillery Brigade, elements of the 1st Infantry Brigade, and the separate Gori Tank Battalion, plus special forces and Ministry of the Internal Affairs troops – as many as 16,000 men, according to Moscow Defense Brief.International Institute for Strategic Studies and Western intelligence quoted by Der Spiegel give a lower estimate, saying that the Georgians had amassed by 7 August about 12,000 troops near South Ossetian border and 75 tanks and armored personnel carriers near Gori.

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Wikipedia