Georgian soldiers riding an armored vehicle

After six days of intermittent sniper fire and machine-gun exchanges between Georgian troops and South Ossetian militia, on August 7 the conflict intensifies. South Ossetian separatists claim that Georgian forces seek to occupy the surrounding hills. Georgia denies this, but by the morning of August 7 it has amassed some 12,000 troops on the border to South Ossetia.[M7]

August 7 -- Georgia attacks

14:00 -- Georgian Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili orders Georgian troops "to prepare everything, to go out from the bases.“ [M6]
15:10 -- Georgian President Saakashvili announces a unilateral ceasefire and orders all Georgian forces "not to return fire, even if they face intensive bombing," adding "We do not have the will to respond to violence with yet more violence.“ [G4]
16:30 -- Western intelligence sources report that Georgian artillery begins to shell the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. [M7]
18:00 -- Citing the renewed shelling of Georgian villages, Tbilisi informs Marat Kulakhmetov, commander of Russian peacekeepers, that the cease fire is cancelled. [M7] OSCE monitors on the scene report no such shelling. [M6]
19:05 -- Mamuka Kurashvili, chief of Georgian peacekeeping operations, announces on television that Georgian troops are engaged in an operation to "restore constitutional order throughout the region.“ [G1, M3]
22:45 -- Georgia says it has occupied three villages in South Ossetia. [G5]

• Saakashvili’s first cease fire lasts less than three hours. During this time, Georgia moves additional infantry and artillery up the front. [M6, G3]
• Initially there are no Georgian reports of Russian troops in the region prior to the beginning of Georgian military operations. The next day, on national television, Saakashvili will say that Russian air strikes also began on August 8. [G2]

August 8 -- Russia responds

00:45 -- Georgian Minister for Reintegration Temuri Yakobashvili announces that Tskhinvali is nearly surrounded, and that Georgia now controls two-thirds of South Ossetia's territory. [R15]
01:30 – The Georgian Foreign Ministry reports that the "first Russian troops enter through Roki Tunnel.“ [G5] Three days later it will say that 100 Russian vehicles crossed through the Roki tunnel into Georgia six hours earlier, at 19:30 GMT on August 7. [G6] The first international press agency reports of Russian tanks in the Roki tunnel appear almost exactly between these two accounts, at 22:06 on August 7 [M7].
05:01 -- South Ossetia's government asks Russia for protection. [R7]
05:15 -- The UN Security Council meets at Russia's request to "consider the aggressive actions of Georgia against South Ossetia." The meeting adjourns after 45 minutes without taking action. [M9]
05:30 -- Russian President Dimitri Medvedev convenes an emergency session of the government to discuss options. [R3]
07:30 -- In a televised address, Saakashvili mentions Russian air strikes beginning on August 8 and mobilizes Georgian reserve troops against "a large-scale military aggression" by Russia. [G2]
10:15 -- Georgia announces a three-hour ceasefire for the evacuation of civilians in Tskhinvali. [G6]
10:30 -- Georgia reports that it controls Tskhinvali. [G6]
12:04 -- Russia's Defense Ministry announces it has sent "peacekeeping reinforcements" into South Ossetia. [R7]
14:44 -- Georgia reports that Russian forces have reached Tskhinvali. [G6]
16:30 -- Georgia reports that its troops have withdrawn from Tskhinvali, though it later reports that its troops withdrew on August 10 at 03:00. [G6] The commander of Russian forces reports that his forces have control of the city on August 9 at 07:40. [R8]
17:03 -- South Ossetian president Kokoity says that 1,400 people were killed in Friday's fighting. [R7]

•Russia appeals for a ceasefire resolution at the United Nations at least six hours before sending in additional ground forces.
• Russian troops officially enter S. Ossetia 17 hours after Georgia officially launches its
military operation. Georgia reports Russian air assaults, but no encounters between Russian and Georgian ground forces for 19 hours.
• The battle of Tskhinvali lasts anywhere from 2-37 hours, depending on the source, with Georgia attempting three distinct assaults. [M6]

August 9 -- UN mediation stalls

02:00 -- U.S. condemns Russian "military actions against Georgia" at the UN. [R8]
05:46 -- Medvedev announces that Russia is engaged in “peace enforcement” operations in South Ossetia. [R8]
07:04 -- Russia says 30,000 refugees have fled South Ossetia during the past 1.5 days. [R8]
07:16 -- The US State Department condemns Russia's “use of strategic bombers and missiles” against Georgia. [R8]
10:30 -- Georgia declares it is at war with Russia. It simultaneously declares martial law within Georgia and a general mobilization. [G6]
11:05 -- Saakashvili calls for an immediate ceasefire. [R8]
11:52 -- Abkhazian separatists launch an offensive to remove Georgian troops occupying the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia. [R8]
23:00 -- UN Security Council for the third time fails to pass a resolution on the conflict. [R8]

• First official US condemnation of Russian for “military actions against Georgia.”
Curiously, on August 22, US Ambassador to Moscow John Beyrle will say that Russia
“responded to attacks on Russian peacekeepers legitimately. . .” [M8]
• UN Security Council fails repeatedly to pass the ceasefire resolution called for by
Russia. Britain and US object to any condemnation of Georgia for initiating hostilities.

August 10 -- Positioning for peace

13:30 -- Georgian Foreign Ministry hands diplomatic note on ceasefire terms to Russian charge d’affairs in Tbilisi. Russian deputy foreign minister Karasin announces terms for a cease fire—Georgia must withdraw its military to positions prior to conflict and pledge not to use force. [G6]
19:17 -- French and Finnish foreign ministers arrive in Tbilisi to mediate a peace agreement. [R9]
19:28 – Russia reports sending its troops into Abkhazia. [R9]

• Basic ceasefire terms are agreed upon before the arrival of foreign intermediaries.

August 11 -- Russia enters Georgia

05:07 -- Russian military says 9,000 Russian troops have been sent to Abkhazia. [R10]
08:18 -- British Foreign Secretary condemns Russia's military actions in Georgia. [R10]
08:48 -- Moscow calls for a Russia-NATO council meeting to discuss South Ossetia. [R10]
09:16 -- NATO head Jan de Hoop Scheffer says Russia is using "disproportionate force" against Georgia. [R10]
09:30 -- Saakashvili signs ceasefire agreement prepared by France and Finland. [G5]
13:00 -- Georgia reports that Russian troops occupy Zugdidi, outside S. Ossetia. [G6]
14:12 -- Russian troops say they are taking "preventative action" near Senaki and Zugdidi, both inside Georgia proper. [R10]
17:19 -- Saakashvili says the Russian military has blocked a central highway linking east and west Georgia. [R10]
21:15 -- US President George W. Bush says "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people.“ [G5]

• 13:00 on August 11 is the first official mention of Russian forces entering Georgia proper. This is 73 hours after Russian troops officially enter S. Ossetia, and 90 hours
after the beginning of military operations by Georgia.
• Well before this, NATO, the UK and the USA have all condemned Russian actions.

August 12-13 -- Russia consolidates

August 12

11:41 -- Tskhinvali’s mayor says 70 percent of the city's buildings were destroyed during the conflict. [R11]
16:31 -- Abkhazia says it has re-taken the Kodori Gorge (confirmed by Georgia three hours later). [R11]
21:11 -- Saakashvili accepts the ceasefire terms signed in Moscow. [R11]

August 13

12:05 -- EU says it is ready to send peacekeepers to Georgia. [R12]
15:13 -- Bush orders the start of a "humanitarian mission headed by the U.S. military" in Georgia. [R12]

• There are persistent reports of Russian troops inside Georgia proper. Georgia says they are planning an assault on Tbilisi. Russia claims they are establishing a security perimeter around South Ossetia and Abkhazia to prevent further Georgian attacks.

August 14-16 -- Peace accord

August 14

06:59 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rice warns Russia to honor the cease fire terms. [R13]
08:10 -- The Russian army reports it has transferred control of Gori (Josef Stalin's birthplace) to civilian administration, but says it remains in the city to prevent looting. [R13]
09:42 -- Leaders of S. Ossetia and Abkhazia sign a peace agreement in Moscow as part of the cease fire. Medvedev says Russia will support any decision made by the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on their status. [R13]

August 16

10:57 -- Medvedev officially signs a French-brokered peace plan. [R14]

Dr. Nicolai N. Petro is professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island. He is the author or editor of eight books on Russia, including Crafting Democracy: How Novgorod has Coped with Rapid Social Change (Cornell University Press, 2004), The Rebirth of Russian Democracy: An Interpretation of Political Culture (Harvard, 1995), and Russian Foreign Policy: From Empire to Nation-State co-authored with Alvin Z. Rubinstein (Longman, 1997). He served as special assistant on Soviet affairs in the U.S. Department of State in 1989-1990, and as advisor to the mayor of the Russian city of Novgorod the Great in 2001-2002. His web site is www.npetro.net.

Sources

Georgian:

G1. "‘Georgia Decided to Restore Constitutional Order in S.Ossetia’ – MoD Official." Civil Georgia (August 8, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18941&search=Kurashvili (accessed 8/30/2008).
G2. "‘Most of S.Ossetia Under Tbilisi’s Control’ – Saakashvili." Civil Georgia (August 8, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18955&search=control%20ossetia (accessed 8/30/2008).
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http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 8/25/2008).
G4. "Saakashvili's Televised Address on S.Ossetia." Civil Georgia (August 7, 2008). Available online at: http://www.civil.ge/eng/_print.php?id=18934 (accessed
9/5/2008).
G5. "Timeline by 13 August 16:20." Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (August 1-13, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7347 (accessed 8/26/2008).
G6. "Timeline of Events in the Russians Invasion & Occupation of Georgia." Minstry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (August 16, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7484 (accessed 8/26/2008).
G7. "Timeline of Russian Aggression in Georgia." Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (August 25, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7484 (accessed 8/26/2008).

Russian:

R1. Allenova, Olga. "The First Peace-Keeping War." Kommersant (August 9, 2008), cited in Johnson's Russia List #2008-#145. Available online at:
http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 8/25/2008).
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R5. "Georgia resumes bombardment of South Ossetia." Russia Today (August 8, 2008). Available online at: http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/28629 (accessed 8/26/2008).
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Miscellaneous:

M1. Armstrong, Patrick. "War in Georgia: Misreading Ossetia -- Chronology Matters." RussiaBlog.org (August 10, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.russiablog.org/2008/08/war_in_georgia_mis-reading_ossetia.php#more (accessed 8/19/2008).
M2. Barry, Ellen and C. J. Chivers. "Russia Backs Separatists as Rice Heads for Talks on Crisis." New York Times (August 14, 2008), cited in Johnson's
Russia List 2008-#149. Available online at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 8/25/2008).
M3. Belton, Catherine et al., "Countdown in the Caucasus: Seven days that brought Russia and Georgia to war." Financial Times (UK) (August 26 2008).
Available online at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af25400a-739d-11dd-8a66-0000779fd18c.html (accessed 8/27/2008).
M4. Chance, Matthew. ""We don't want to quarrel with anyone; we don't want to fight anyone"." CNN.com (August 29, 2008). Available online at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/29/putin.transcript/ (accessed 8/30/2008).
M5. "Chronology--Conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia." Reuters (August 10, 2008), cited in Johnson's Russia List #2008-#145. Available online at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 8/25/2008).
M6. Finn, Peter. "A Two-Sided Descent Into Full-Scale War." Washington Post (August 17, 2008). Available online at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/08/16/AR2008081600502.html.html (accessed 8/30/2008).
M7. Klussmann, Uwe et al. "Road to War in Georgia." Spiegel Online (Germany) (August 25, 2008), cited in Johnson's Russia List 2008-#162. Available online at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 9/3/2008).
M8. "Russia's first Georgia move legitimate: U.S. envoy." Reuters (August 22, 2008), cited in Johnson's Russia List #2008-#155. Available online at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/ (accessed 8/25/2008).
M9. "Security Council meeting 5951." UNdemocracy.com (August 8, 2008). Available online at: http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_5951 (accessed 9/9/2008).