August 15, 2008: Seven buses with more than 300 refugees from South Ossetia arrived into "Krasny Desant" Health Spa Hotel on the Azov Sea coast near Taganrog on August 14, 2008. The refugees were placed in comfortable rooms, and were attended by doctors, psychologists and migration officers. The Taganrog Local Government is providing humanitarian aid and medical assistance to women and children who managed to escape from the South Ossetian capital. Their husbands and sons stayed to defend South Ossetia from Georgian aggressors.
Mayor Fedyanin and Chairman of the City Council (Duma) Stefanov and reporters of two local TV channels met with people who found shelter near Taganrog. Mayor Fedyanin said: "We need to do everything to distract children from grief and distress they've been through. Our help and assistance will be continuous."
The war began on August 7 after Georgia sent a large military force into South Ossetia which reached the capital Tskhinvali, breaking a ceasefire agreement between Georgia and South Ossetia.
Georgian troops committed an act of aggression against Russian peacekeepers and the civilian population in South Ossetia. It was a gross violation of international law and of the mandates that the international community gave Russia as a partner in the peace process. Georgia's acts have caused loss of life, including among Russian peacekeepers. The situation reached the point where Georgian peacekeepers opened fire on the Russian peacekeepers with whom they are supposed to work together to carry out their mission of maintaining peace in this region. The heavy shelling left the city of Tskhinvali in ruins, causing a humanitarian crisis and the number of fatalities is estimated, at over 2,000 with the majority being citizens of the Russian Federation.
More than 35,000 refugees have crossed the border in the last few days. The regions of the Southern Federal District are taking them in, of course, providing them with help and giving them accommodation in children's holiday camps, schools and places of temporary shelter. The whole country is collecting clothing, tents and food to send. Up to date, some 800 refugees have been evacuated to Rostov Oblast.
