"Today marks 12 years since our country responded to the criminal behavior of the then president of Georgia," Medvedev wrote, noting that Russia in 2008 "responded to the actions of the scoundrels who gave the order to open fire on the houses of civilians."
He stressed that, in fact, "it was about the declaration of war on the Russian Federation."
“That is why then I made a difficult, but the only possible decision - to stand up for the defense of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, first protecting them from aggression, and then, at the request of their citizens, recognizing their full independence,” Medvedev said.
Otherwise, he noted, Transcaucasia "would have turned into a powder keg."
"Russia has always acted and will continue to advocate peace and stability in the border states," said the deputy chairman of the Security Council, adding that the country will never allow attacks on Russian citizens, and the answer "will always be absolutely adequate to the prevailing circumstances."
In August 2018, Dmitry Medvedev noted that the aggressive policy of Georgia in 2008 and, as a result, the conflict with South Ossetia was a subjective choice of the ex-head of state Mikhail Saakashvili and his entourage.
The conflict unfolded after Georgian troops invaded the republic on the night of August 8, 2008 and fired at the capital of South Ossetia Tskhinvali from the Grad installations.
The then Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, announced the start of a military peace enforcement operation, during which Georgian troops were forced to retreat.
On August 26, Russia recognized the independence of the two republics.