Russo-Georgian War

The Russo-Georgian War was fought in August 2008 over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, beginning when Georgian forces moved to retake the territory and Russia responded with a rapid and decisive military intervention on behalf of South Ossetian and Abkhaz separatist forces. Russian forces pushed well into undisputed Georgian territory before a French-mediated ceasefire ended active fighting after a matter of days. In the war's aftermath Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and stationed troops in both, a status rejected by Georgia and most of the international community, leaving the underlying territorial dispute unresolved.