REFLECTIONS

Looking Back on the Russian-Georgian War, 10 Years Later

Aug 7, 2018 | 20:06 GMT

A Russian convoy heads into South Ossetia on Aug. 8, 2008, to respond to fighting there between Georgian and separatist forces

A Russian convoy heads into South Ossetia on Aug. 8, 2008, to respond to fighting there between Georgian and separatist forces

(DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP/Getty Images)

It's been a decade since Russia made its dramatic return to the world stage with the invasion of Georgia. Russian troops crossed into the disputed territory of South Ossetia in August 2008 -- their first major deployment since the Soviet Union's demise -- destroying much of Georgia's infrastructure and military over the course of just five days. But if the war itself was short-lived, its effects have been far more enduring....