Russia’s Foreign Ministry marked the 18th anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war in an August 8 statement, which again blamed the then-Georgian government for starting the conflict. The statement added that Moscow “notes” the “ongoing attempts” by Georgian society to “reassess” the August 2008 events. August 7 marked the 18th anniversary of the Russian invasion of Georgia. The war, which lasted approximately five days, claimed the lives of more than 200 Georgian soldiers and over 300 civilians and displaced thousands. In the aftermath of the war, Russia formally recognized the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia regions as independent states and significantly expanded its military presence in both territories.