Battle of the Kodori Gorge

Battle of the Kodori Valley
Part of the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict and the Russo-Georgian War
Map of Abkhazia, showing the location of the Upper Kodori Valley.
Date 9–12 August 2008 Location Abkhazia, Western Georgia Result Abkhaz-Russian victory
Belligerents
Abkhazia Russia	Georgia
Commanders and leaders
Sergei Bagapsh Mirab Kishmaria Anatoly Zaitsev Vladimir Shamanov	Mikheil Saakashvili Davit Kezerashvili
Strength
1,000 soldiers	2,500 regulars
Casualties and losses
1 killed	2 killed

The Battle of the Kodori Valley was a military operation during the Russo-Georgian War in the Upper Kodori Valley of Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. It was the only part of Abkhazia, which was under Georgian control before this military conflict. On 9 August 2008, the Abkhaz military, with support by Russian forces, launched an operation to remove the remaining Georgian troops from the disputed gorge. After three days, the Georgian military left the Upper Kodori Valley.

Russia sent naval vessels to blockade Georgia's Black Sea coast. According to the Russian navy, a group of ships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including the flagship Moskva missile cruiser, arrived on 10 August 2008 near the Georgian border. The source in the Russian Navy's headquarters claimed, that "the purpose of the Black Sea Fleet vessels' presence in this region is to provide aid to refugees." A spokesman of the president of Abkhazia earlier said, that "the local administration and peacekeepers had asked Russia to reinforce its naval presence near the Abkhazian coast, after Georgian warships attempted to approach the coastline."

On 10 August 2008, the Georgian government said, that 6,000 Russian troops had rolled into South Ossetia from the neighbouring Russian province of North Ossetia and 4,000 more landed in Abkhazia. Alexander Novitsky, an aide to the commander of Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia, said on 11 August 2008, that Russia had boosted its forces in Abkhazia and had more than 9,000 paratroopers and 350 armoured vehicles there.

On the morning of 9 August 2008, the Abkhaz de facto deputy defense minister requested, that UNOMIG should withdraw its observers from the Upper Kodori Valley. UNOMIG then withdrew all 15 observers from the Upper Kodori Valley. The Abkhaz de facto authorities announced a decision, taken by president Bagapsh, to expel the Georgian armed forces from the Upper Kodori Valley. On the afternoon, UNOMIG reported aerial bombardments of Georgian villages in the Upper Kodori Valley. On 10 August, the president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, gave a press conference where he announced that their operation in the Upper Kodori Valley was proceeding according to plan. He gave both Georgian civilians and armed personnel an ultimatum to leave the Upper Kodori Valley. He also said, that the government of Abkhazia had requested Russia to take measures to strengthen the Abkhaz maritime border. Bagapsh said, that his decision to start a military operation against the Upper Kodori Valley was approved by the parliament.

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