Battle of Tskhinvali: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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At this time the [[Russian Ministry of Defence]] also reported that at least 10 Russian soldiers were killed and 30 were wounded in the initial Georgian [[shelling]] of the Russian [[peacekeeping]] force base at Tskhinvali;<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://lenta.ru/news/2008/08/08/peacekeepers/ Минобороны РФ заявило о расстреле российских миротворцев], [[Lenta.ru]], 08.08.2008</ref> this number was later revised to 13 killed and 70 wounded.<ref name=ifax/>

During the afternoon of [[August 8]], Russian ground forces, with [[air support]], crossed the international border into South Ossetia from the Russian republic of [[North Ossetia-Alania]].<ref>[http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/8/8/372030.html Russian tanks 'rolling into Georgian breakaway'], [[CNN]], August 8, 2008</ref> The Russians reportedly reached Tskhinvali several hours later with two armored battalions of the [[58th Army (Soviet Union)|58th Army]].<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://lenta.ru/news/2008/08/08/shooting/ Russian tanks entered Tskhinvali], [[Lenta.Ru]], 08.08.2008</ref> Both sides (Russia and Georgia) used armoured vehicles and artillery during the fight for the city. On [[August 9]], the [[58th Army (Russia)|Russian 58th Army]] commander [[Lieutenant General]] [[Anatoly Khrulyov]] was wounded in a Georgian [[ambush]] which reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the Russian spearhead column; two tanks, 25 [[infantry fighting vehicle|IFV]]s and two [[armoured personnel carrier|APC]]s were said to be lost, which had not been confirmed by Russia.<ref name=mk/>

After the Russians and South Ossetian fighters drove the Georgians out of the outskirts of Tskhinvali, the Georgian units regrouped with armored reinforcements from Gori.{{cn}} On the later half of August 9, the regrouped Georgian forces reportedly launched a new offensive against South Ossetian and Russian defenders of Tskhinvali using heavy tube and [[rocket artillery]],<ref>http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/%E2%80%9Cthey-stinted-on-no-one%E2%80%9D/</ref> while heavy fighting was reportedly underway on the city outskirts, with Georgian forces breaking through the defenses and the rebel sources reporting three enemy tanks destroyed.<ref>[http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95975 Georgia Army Launches New Offensive on South Ossetia Capital Tskhinvali], [[Sofia News Agency]], 9 August 2008</ref> Just before midnight a five-hour artillery onslaught on the city ended,{{cn}} but the fighting with the Georgian infantry in the south of Tskhinvali continued.{{cn}} [[Civilian]]s still remained in the basements with no food or water.{{cn}} The South Ossetian forces complained that Georgia had not yet provided a peace corridor to evacuate the civilians caught up in crossfire.{{cn}}