Sex döda när buss med officerare körde ner i ravin

The Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict between Georgia, Russia, and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The war took place in August 2008 following a period of worsening relations between Russia and Georgia, both formerly constituent republics of the Soviet Union. Set in the strategically important Caucasus region, the conflict was regarded as the first European war of the 21st century. Georgia declared its independence in early 1991 as the Soviet Union began to fall apart. Amidst this backdrop, a war between Georgia and separatists left parts of the former South Ossetian Oblast under the control of Russian-backed but internationally unrecognised separatists. Following the war, a joint peacekeeping force of Georgian, Russian and Ossetian troops was stationed in the territory. Meanwhile, a similar stalemate developed in the second rebel region of Abkhazia, which had waged its own separatist war. With the exception of occasional flare-ups, situation in both separatist areas remained stable throughout the rest of the 1990s. Following a pro-Western change of power in Georgia in 2003, relations between Russia and Georgia began to deteriorate, reaching a full diplomatic crisis by April 2008. By August 1 2008, Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages, with a sporadic response from Georgian peacekeepers in the region. Following these deadly attacks, Georgia began a full-scale military operation in the South Ossetian conflict zone on 7 August, taking control of most of Tskhinvali in hours. Georgia later stated it was also responding to Russia moving non-peacekeeping units into the country. Russia accused Georgia of "aggression against South Ossetia", as well as "genocide" of thousands of its people, which was later proven to be false. With the stated aim of "peace enforcement", Russia officially launched a large-scale land, air and sea operation against Georgia on 8 August. Russian and Ossetian forces battled Georgian forces throughout South Ossetia for four days, until Georgian forces retreated. Russian and Abkhaz forces opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge held by Georgia. Russian naval forces blockaded part of the Georgian coast. This was the first war in history in which cyber warfare coincided with military action. An active information war was also waged during and after the conflict. On 12 August, President of France Nicolas Sarkozy negotiated a ceasefire agreement. Russian forces raided Georgian military bases and temporarily occupied the Georgian cities of Zugdidi, Senaki, Poti, and Gori, holding on to the latter beyond the ceasefire. The South Ossetians destroyed most ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia and were responsible for an ethnic cleansing of Georgians. Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as separate republics on 26 August; in response, the Georgian government severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Russia mostly completed its withdrawal of troops from Georgia proper on 8 October. In the aftermath, Russia's international relations were largely unharmed. The war displaced 192,000 people, and while many returned to their homes after the war, 20,272 people remained displaced as of 2014. The Russian military has since increased its presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of the ceasefire agreement of August 2008.