TSKHINVAL, July 14. /TASS/. South Ossetia’s acting President Marat Kambolov has lauded the role Russian peacekeepers have played in bringing order to the republic since they were deployed there 34 years ago.

A trilateral peacekeeping force was deployed to the republic on July 14, 1992 and put an end to a conflict that had been smoldering since 1989. This day was proclaimed a national holiday in South Ossetia - Peacekeeper’s Day.

"Peacekeeper’s Day is not a mere commemorative date for South Ossetia. This is a day of tribute to the people who once stood as the last line between life and death, between war and the future of an entire nation. Thirty-four years ago, peacekeeping forces came to our soil. This marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of our republic - a stage of creation, consolidation, and development. This meant that children could continue going to school, that mothers would no longer have to quiver at the sound of gunshots, that people did not have to flee and could build their homes, plant their gardens, and think about their future," Kambolov wrote on his Telegram channel.

Things are the way they are today, he said, thanks to the courage and selflessness of these peacekeepers, who were ready to lay down their lives for the greater good

"Today we bow our heads in remembrance of the peacekeepers who did not return home. Their heroism cannot be measured by awards or words of gratitude. It lives on in every peaceful day in South Ossetia. I extend my sincere words of gratitude to Russia, whose peacekeeping mission has become a symbol of protection, stability, and hope for South Ossetia. Today, our republic’s security and peace in our land is safely secured by Russian servicemen who continue the course that was begun by the peacekeepers," he emphasized.

Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia

Russian peacekeepers were deployed to South Ossetia on July 14, 1992 under the Dagomys agreement on the settlement of the conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia. Along with Russian servicemen, the mission included North Ossetian and Georgian battalions.

The mission lasted until August 2008. Overnight to August 8, 2008, Georgia again attacked South Ossetia, prompting Russia to come to the defense of the civilian population and its peacekeepers. As a result of the five-day war, more than 1,000 people, including 72 Russian peacekeepers, were killed. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized South Ossetia’s independence. In 2009, Russia’s 4th military base was organized in that country in 2009.