Breakaway Tskhinvali temporarily closes so-called border with Georgia

Relatives living on opposite sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia will have no chance of visiting each other for the next three days.

De facto authorities of Tskhinvali region decided to close the so-called border today and not allow Georgian and Ossetian citizens to cross the line.

Russian media reported the "security committee” of breakaway Tskhinvali decided to close the "border” to "ensure security” during the events planned to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the August 8, 2008 war between Russia and Georgia; as de-facto Tskhinvalian athorities put it, "Georgian agression”.

Meanwhile the war is known internationally as Russian agression and invasion of Georgia that resulted in the occupation of Georgian land.

All the checkpoints at the ABL will remain closed until 9am on August 9.

De facto Tskinvali, which is recognised and supported by Russia, typically closed the ABL and prevented Georgian citizens from crossing it almost every time a major celebration took place either in Georgia or the breakaway region.