The war in August 2008
August 10, 2008 Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin arrived in the North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz, where he held a meeting to coordinate assistance to the refugees from South Ossetia.
"What is happening in South Ossetia - is the genocide of the Ossetian people, and legally Russia's actions in South Ossetia are fully justified", - Putin said.
The Russian Prime Minister described the situation in South Ossetia as the "humanitarian catastrophe."
He called on the Georgian authorities to stop immediately the aggression against South Ossetia, to comply with the previously signed ceasefire agreements and to respect the rights and interests of other nations.
At that time after a five-hour shelling, there fell momentary lull in Tskhinval. Tank attack was averted – there were 12 destroyed Georgian tanks on the southern outskirts of Tskhinval. There were shot down one Georgian sniper, two gunlayers and a Georgian bomber. It was also repulsed the tank attack on the Zar road. The Ossetian side and some units of the Russian army were firing the Georgian positions in the border villages.
In the basements of Tskhinval there remained a lot of civilians without water and food. Not any humanitarian corridor for the peaceful population was opened by Georgia. Because of the constant artillery fire it was possible to bury the killed or to drive them to the morgue.
At 10:25 Georgian Interior Ministry announced the withdrawal of its troops from South Ossetia, and at 14:00 the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the information about the withdrawal of the Georgian troops from Tskhinval. However, at 16:00 Tskhinval was again fired with howitzers; seven people were wounded, including three children.
On the same day the first 50 civilians were evacuated to Vladikavkaz. At nine o'clock Tskhinval was entirely under the control of the Russian peacekeepers.
