The "catastrophic gamble" of the previous leadership inflicted immense damage on the country, Irakli Kobakhidze has said

Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and his government are responsible for the 2008 war with Russia, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said. The conflict, waged on behalf of the "deep state," inflicted immense damage on the country and its interests, according to the PM.

Kobakhidze delivered the remarks on Friday, as Georgia marked the 17th anniversary of the beginning of the hostilities known as the Five-Day War. The prime minister squarely blamed Saakashvili for the conflict, stating that an attack on the breakaway republic of South Ossetia was orchestrated on his direct orders.

"Today we need to remember all the documents signed by the then government, which state that the Saakashvili regime started the war," Kobakhidze stated. 

"There is no escape from these documents, they are irrefutable proof that the then government unleashed the war and dealt a severe blow to the national interests of our country," he added. Khobakhidze went on to suggest the conflict was instigated by foreign forces.

The hostilities began early on August 8, 2008, when the Georgian military subjected the capital city of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia, Tskhinval, to artillery bombardment and moved in to attack local militias and Russian peacekeepers stationed there. South Ossetia and republic of Abkhazia split from Georgia following a civil war in the early 1990s shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The attack prompted a swift armed response from Russia, with the active phase of hostilities lasting for only five days. The Russian military expelled Tbilisi's forces from South Ossetia, which retreated in disarray while Moscow's troops advanced into Georgian territory through South Ossetia and Abkhazia before a ceasefire was agreed. Shortly afterward, Russia recognized the independence of the two republics, maintaining close ties with them ever since. 

Kobakhidze ruled out signing any agreements with the two republics on the non-use of force, emphasizing Tbilisi aims to achieve its goals through diplomacy. "The only way to restore territorial integrity is a peaceful path, and there can be no talk of any such documents," the PM said.