Gagloev: In Georgia, they were sure that the seizure of South Ossetia was a matter of a couple of hours

The night of August 8, 2008 has forever remained a black page in the history of South Ossetia, said the President of the republic Alan Gagloev at the funeral ceremony at the memorial to the defenders of the Fatherland in Tskhinvali.

"We remember those who died while performing their military duty. We remember the faces of those who lost their relatives, their home, everything they had," the president said and called on those present to honor their memory with a minute of silence.

Ossetian soldiers courageously and selflessly met the superior forces of the aggressor with fire in August 2008, Gagloev recalled.

"Enemy artillery and missiles purposefully hit residential areas, the Republican Hospital, public buildings, trying to inflict as much damage as possible. Peaceful people — women, children, the elderly — died from rocket explosions, from shell fragments, under the rubble of their homes. Following the devastating bombing, the enemy moved its tanks to Tskhinval," the president said.

According to him, the Georgian headquarters were firmly convinced that success was assured for the assault units and the capture of South Ossetia was a matter of a few hours.

"Georgian strategists miscalculated. Despite the suddenness of the attack, on which Georgian generals and their foreign advisers relied, Ossetian soldiers showed examples of military prowess, acted coolly and proactively, showing courage and heroism, fighting for every street, not for a second allowing the enemy to feel victorious," Gagloev said.

South Ossetia will never forget that in the whole world only Russia in August 2008 — at that crucial moment did not stand aside, the President stressed.

"Russian soldiers, like peacekeepers, came to the rescue, stood up for the brothers in spirit, in blood, in fate. They stopped the Georgian aggression, saved thousands of lives, and prevented the recurrence of the genocide catastrophe. And today South Ossetia is not just a territory, it is part of the big Russian World, where they consider peace to be the most precious value, but are ready to take up arms in their hands to defend their brothers when necessary," Gagloev said.

The political will of the top leadership of the Russian Federation, the timely and decisive actions of the Russian military command, the courage and bravery of Russian soldiers and officers, nullified the plans of the Georgian aggressors, he recalled.

"They had to run back to where they came from, abandoning weapons and military equipment. The war is over, the era of tranquility, peace and rebirth has begun for our people," the president said.