2001 Kodori crisis

Timeline

On October 4, 2001, a group of Chechen and Georgian fighters led by the commander Ruslan Gelayev entered the gorge from the Georgian side and attacked the village Giorgievskoe. Then, on October 8, 2001 9:20AM, a helicopter carrying United Nations observers was shot down over Kodori, killing nine, on the same day unidentified assailants attacked the village of Naa [spelled also Haa] killing 14 people in the process, and on the next day nine unidentified aircraft bombed the gorge which was under Georgian control. The Russian air force carried out air strikes on the fighters. A group of fighters was intercepted by Abkhaz forces near Ilori on October 17. On October 17 Abkhazian Defence Ministry officials said that the lower part of the valley was again under the Abkhazian control.

Aftermath

The crisis was largely neglected by the world media, which was focused on the concurrent US attack on Afghanistan.

On 5 August 2004, Valery Chkhetiani, one of the Georgian fighters captured by Abkhaz forces, suffered a stroke during a walk and was brought to a hospital, where he died two days later, on 7 August. Chkhetiani, a resident of Kutaisi born in 1973, had been condemned to a prison sentence of 15 years.{{cite web

On 29 July 2006, Mart Laar, former prime minister of Estonia and then adviser to the Georgian president, was quoted as saying that the Kodori conflict was engineered by Russia. Laar also warned that future provocations of Georgia by Russia are to be expected, but that Georgia has prepared itself to make it through any challenges posed by Russia.

On 30 April 2008, Russia accused Georgia of massing 1500 troops in the Kodori region in preparation to invade Abkhazia. Georgia maintained the troops were present in accordance with a 1994 accord that allowed for peacekeeping forces in the region and were essential to maintaining order after the 2001 Kodori crisis. Russia responded by deploying troops to the region, further escalating tensions between Russia and Georgia. These forces would later take part in the war in 2008.

References

References

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2. "Abkhazia "on verge of war"".
3. (12 June 2003). "Kidnappers in Separatist Georgian Region Free 4 U.N. Workers".
4. . (23 Oct 2001). ["POPULATION FLEES SCENE OF RECENT ABKHAZ FIGHTING"](https://www.rferl.org/a/1142510.html).
5. (12 June 2003). "Kidnappers in Separatist Georgian Region Free 4 U.N. Workers".
6. . (8 Oct 2001). ["Missile downs U.N. helicopter"](https://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/10/08/abkhazia.helicopter/index.html).
7. (12 October 2001). "Caucasus Report: October 12, 2001". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.
8. "Human Rights Watch World Report 2002: Europe & Central Asia: Georgia".
9. Deliso, Christopher. (17 Oct 2001). "Georgia on The Edge".
10. . (8 Oct 2001). ["Annan 'shocked' at reported deadly downing of UN helicopter in Georgia"](https://news.un.org/en/story/2001/10/16752).
11. (2001-10-08). "UN helicopter shot down in Georgia". BBC News.
12. Maloverjan, Üve. (12 Oct 2001). "Vene ja Gruusia lahingud Abhaasias".
13. Cutler, Robert. (15 Oct 2001). "Abkhazia Again: The UN Helicopter Shootdown".
14. . (7 Mar 2023). ["CASE OF MAMASAKHLISI AND OTHERS v. GEORGIA AND RUSSIA"](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-223361%22]}).
15. link. (November 18, 2006 , 31.05.02)
16. (22 October 2021). "Caucasus Report: October 22, 2001". RFE/RL.
17. (29 July 2006). "GEORGIAN KODORI GORGE CRISIS WAS ENGINEERED BY RUSSIA - LAAR". [[Baltic News Service]].
18. Harding, Luke. (30 April 2008). "Russia accuses Georgia of plans to invade breakaway region". [[The Guardian]].