The death of Ossetian combatants has attracted the attention of Georgian Facebook users*
Georgian social media users have joined the discussion of the report that six Ossetian fighters were killed in combat in Ukraine. Participants in the discussion recalled the armed conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the administration of the Digori district of North Ossetia reported that Zaur Ramonov, a resident of the village of Dur-Dur, was killed in a military operation in Ukraine. District authorities also reported that Akhsar Kesayev, Vadim Mamukayev, Astan Magayev, Oleg Kazakov, and Vladislav Avlokhashvili were killed in the fighting. The administration's announcement of Akhsar Kesayev's death was illustrated with a photograph of the soldier in camouflage uniform and a chevron in the form of the white-red-yellow tricolor.
The white-red-yellow tricolor had become a national symbol in both North and South Ossetia even before 1990. In North Ossetia, this tricolor was officially adopted as the republic's flag in 1991, and in South Ossetia, in 1992, Konstantin Kochiev, state adviser to the president of South Ossetia, told the Res news agency in September 2022.
Facebook* users have left more than 260 comments under the "Caucasian Knot" post about the six killed in North Ossetia as of 12:55 Moscow time.
Users with Georgian surnames in their nicknames were noticeably active in the discussion, including Otar Shautidze, Leri Gogrichiani, Alexander Tsnobiladze, Merab Onashvili, Irakli Tordia, and others. They raised questions about the reasons for North Ossetian residents' participation in the military operation and mentioned historical conflicts in the region.
Some of them wondered about the motivations of those involved in the fighting. "What did he lose there? Money?" wrote, among others, Otar Shautidze.
"What were they doing there?" Tash Megre also inquired. "Why, guys?" wondered another user.
"And when you came to South Ossetia, what did you do there?" - Madlena Karpenko responded to one of the comments.
The long-standing confrontation between Georgia and South Ossetia began back in 1989, when the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR declared the decision of South Ossetian deputies to The transformation of the autonomous region into an autonomous republic. On the night of January 6, 1991, the Georgian leadership deployed police and National Guard units to Tskhinvali. Armed clashes erupted on the morning of January 6, resulting in casualties, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "How the Conflict in South Ossetia Began".
Several other users expressed condolences to the families of the dead. "My deepest condolences to the parents and loved ones," wrote Alla Titova. "It's a great shame that so many young men are dying," noted Saria Antilava.
Other commenters considered the soldiers' deaths a natural consequence of their participation in the fighting in Ukraine. They, however, showed no sympathy for the deaths of the Ossetian soldiers.
Users with Ossetian surnames responded by rebuking the authors of these comments. "Don't rejoice in other people's misfortune," Alla Bestaeva remarked. "Fear God, normal people don't gloat," urged Violeta Tskhovrebova. "Let it be a boomerang to everyone who rejoices in the death of people," said Svetlana Alborova.
Since 2008, Georgia has considered Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be territories occupied by Russia after After Russia intervened in the armed conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia and then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, according to a "Caucasian Knot" report on the "Five-Day War" of 2008.
As a reminder, as of March 16, at least 572 fighters from North Ossetia have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation. Furthermore, according to authorities, as of March 18, more than 40 combatants from South Ossetia have been killed in the Russian operation in Ukraine.
"Caucasian Knot" maintains a list of names of natives of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts killed in the military operation. The list was compiled based on data officially released by government officials and security agencies, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "NVO Statistics: Losses Are Mounting for Southern Russia."
State awards, memorial plaques, and appearances on Channel One do not guarantee state support for the families of those killed, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Three Comrades Served: How Authorities Are Depriving Families of Killed Volunteers of Benefits," which describes the stories of slain soldiers, including those from southern Russia.