Russia–South Ossetia relations 2009, Sergey Lavrov stated that Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was not planned when the 2008 war began. As a result of the Russian recognition of Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Russia on 29 August 2008, and declared that it regards South Ossetia and Abkhazia as "occupied territories". Russia and South Ossetia established diplomatic relations on 9 September 2008, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South Ossetian Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Dzhioyev exchanged notes at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. On 25 September 2008, President Medvedev signed an ukaz appointing
Armed Forces of South Ossetia Armed Forces of South Ossetia The Armed Forces of South Ossetia is the military of the partially recognised state of South Ossetia. The force numbers about 500 men, or 1,500, including reservists. In includes an Army and an Air Corp. The South Ossetian Army was formed in 1992, and is the primary defense force in the breakaway sovereign region of South Ossetia, largely considered to be within recognized Georgian territory. The South Ossetian military fought against the Georgian forces in the 2008 South Ossetia war. At the time of the major Georgian offensive, the bulk of the Ossetian force was