The announcement was made on the 79th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The authorities of the pro-Russian Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia declared on Friday May 13 that they wanted to organize a referendum on July 17 on its integration into Russia.
South Ossetia was at the center of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war, following which the Kremlin recognized its independence as well as that of another Georgian breakaway region, Abkhazia, and set up bases there military.
The separatist Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, whose independence has also been recognized by Moscow, have already expressed their interest in integrating with Russia.
An “unacceptable” project for Georgia
The Georgian authorities have in the past already described as“unacceptable” South Ossetia’s plan to hold a referendum on its entry into the Russian Federation.
In August 2008, Russia attacked Georgia whose government was fighting pro-Russian militias in that region after they bombed Georgian villages.
The fighting ended after five days with the establishment of a ceasefire brokered by the European Union, but left more than 700 dead and caused the displacement of tens of thousands of Georgians.