Moscow's influence in Georgia stems from the Russian military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and from the Kremlin's hold over the North Caucasus republics positioned along Georgia's northern border. In August 2008, Russia launched its invasion of Georgia through the Roki Tunnel in North Ossetia. Tensions also flared in the late 1990s and early 2000s, after Moscow accused Tbilisi of providing Chechen militants havens in eastern Georgia, and again in August after militants allegedly staged raids into Georgia from Dagestan. The North Caucasus will likely continue to be a source of tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi, particularly as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea city of Sochi, just north of the Abkhazian border.
