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Russia took sufficient action to stop Georgia-South Ossetia conflict, says Medvedev

The Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation noted that, on the one hand, Moscow "put things in order" in South Ossetia, on the other hand, it did not enter the stage of complete confrontation with the rest of the world

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Moscow took sufficient action to stop the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict in August 2008, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with TASS and RT.

"As for the actions that were taken back then, I think the they were sufficient because on the one hand, we smashed the aggressor and restored order, and eventually, the country’s leadership changed; and on the other hand, we did not enter into full confrontation with the rest of the world," he explained.

Medvedev added that this was how Russia "got a peaceful respite to ensure development and growth and improve our Armed Forces, preparing for further potential trouble."

On August 8, 2008, Georgia mounted an overnight armed attack against South Ossetia. Russia intervened to protect civilians, many of whom had obtained Russian citizenship, and its peacekeeping contingent, which had been stationed in the region since 1992. In a five-day armed conflict, more than one thousand people, including 72 Russian peacekeepers, lost their lives. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former autonomous region of Georgia.

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