Georgian Dream’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accuses Georgia of starting the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War.
On the 17th anniversary of the August 2008 War, Georgian Dream-appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the war an “adventure” by Georgia’s previous government and claimed that the Georgian side was not carrying out a defensive operation, but offensive actions.
“Today, we must recall all the documents signed by the government at the time. Among them is the Tagliavini Report, which was effectively endorsed by the the United National Movement regime. It clearly states that Saakashvili’s regime started the war. There is also the Council of Europe resolution, which was adopted almost unanimously and states that large-scale military actions were launched by Saakashvili’s regime.
Also, there is the Council of Europe resolution, which was adopted at the time by the Council of Europe almost unanimously, and it states that large-scale military actions were launched specifically by Saakashvili’s regime.
Additionally, there is the Georgian president’s decree on the declaration of military actions, which states that Russia entered Georgia on August 8.
These documents cannot be ignored — they are irrefutable proof that the then-agentic government started the war and inflicted severe damage on our country’s national interests. This was an act of treason.
The Council of Europe resolution and the Tagliavini Report outline a chronology of events, noting that on August 7, 2008, the then-regime opened artillery fire on Tskhinvali, and this was followed the next day by the entry of Russian troops into Georgia.
Theoretically, if we were to launch an assault tomorrow on Tskhinvali or Sokhumi, that would start a war. This is the truth — it’s reflected in the Council of Europe resolution, which states there was an escalation, but that escalation turned into large-scale war only after the regime at the time launched assault on Tskhinvali without warning. On the morning of August 8, 2008, the regime proudly announced that they were capturing village after village, advancing settlement by settlement toward Tskhinvali, that they had entered the city and were moving toward the Roki Tunnel. This was not a defensive operation. They openly declared that they were restoring constitutional order through offensive actions.
Saakashvili’s party committed a grave act of treason that cost the lives of more than 400 people. These individuals, of course, died for their homeland and its national interests. But if we were to betray our country tomorrow, if we were to launch such an operation as part of an adventure or sign off on a foreign directive, our soldiers would again go to war and die for their homeland — but that would not justify our betrayal. This is exactly what Saakashvili’s regime did,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
Moreover, on August 7, Kobakhidze stated that in 2008 the Georgian government was acting on orders from the “deep state.“
“This was a catastrophic adventure. It was a treason ordered from outside. It was a treason commissioned by the “deep state.“ Ask Donald Trump and his administration who the deep state is. Saakashvili’s regime started the war based on external orders — on the orders of the deep state,” said Kobakhidze.
UPDATE:
On August 11, 2025 Georgian Dream–appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, marking the 17th anniversary of the Battle of Shindisi, once again blamed the Georgian government for starting the Auguts 2008 Russo-Georgian War.
In response to critical questions from journalists, he said that the war was “started not by Georgia, but by the Saakashvili regime,” and that “20% of Georgia is occupied by Russia.”
⭕️On August 11, Georgian Dream–appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, marking the 17th anniversary of the Battle of Shindisi, once again blamed the Georgian government for starting the Auguts 2008 Russo-Georgian War.
⭕️In response to critical questions from journalists, he… pic.twitter.com/tCJIKE5rQs
— ბათუმელები • Batumelebi.ge (@Batumelebi_ge) August 11, 2025
Cover Photo: On the left – Bidzina Ivanishvili; On the right – Irakli Kobakhidze
Seventeen years have passed since the August 2008 Russia–Georgia war.
The international community typically marks Russia’s aggression against Georgia on August 7, while Moscow and the Georgian Dream government does it on August 8. Until recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been an exception. However, last year, for the first time under Georgian Dream’s rule and in contrast to its previously established practice, Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its statement marking the anniversary of the August 2008 war on August 8 instead of the 7th.
August 7 Tells Two Stories — Russia’s Invasion and Georgian Dream’s Kremlin Alignment
