On the night of August 7-8, 2008, Russia sent troops into the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia after Georgia attacked the region's main city, Tskhinvali, where Russian peacekeepers were based. In the next five days, Russian forces drove the Georgians back into Georgia proper and then recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region, as independent states, while Tbilisi insists they are an integral part of Georgia.
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Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org