Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Vice Prime Minister, the Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, and Members of Parliament and the Government visited the Memorial to the Georgian soldiers who heroically fell at Shindisi during the August war of 2008. They laid a wreath in tribute to the fallen heroes.

At the Memorial, attended by the defence forces, the family members of the heroes and Georgian citizens, the valiant sacrifices of the Georgian warriors were commemorated and recalled.

"On this day, we commemorate the Shindisi Heroes` Day, a day when 22 Georgian soldiers valiantly fought against 100 Russian militants in an unequal battle. Despite the significant numerical disparity, the Georgian soldiers demonstrated unwavering courage and determination, confronting the enemy, five times exceeding their number. Tomorrow, we celebrate the Didgori Battle, a battle that mirrors the spirit of this day. Georgian warriors fought and emerged victorious against their adversaries, five times surpassing their numbers. Notably, 17 years ago, our 22 Georgian soldiers once again epitomised heroism by steadfastly resisting 100 Russian soldiers, fighting until their last breath in defence of their homeland. It evidences that Georgian warriors enter every battle with the same determination as Didgori, as every battle has to be won as Didgori. The Shindisi heroes exemplified this spirit 17 years ago. At the same time, it manifests that not every battle is commanded by a patriot commander like David the Builder, and reminds us that we would have avoided the war, had the then puppet regime not reigned 17 years ago. When a nation is governed by a puppet regime, its actions are not driven by the protection of national interests but rather by the advancement of other countries and groups. This was the case 17 years ago, when Saakashvili’s puppet regime let Georgia be used as a pawn on the geopolitical chess board", - said Shalva Papuashvili.

As he noted, 17 years ago, the six-paragraph cease-fire agreement was concluded on August 12, which was signed with the mediation of the European Union.

"This plan has not yet been fully implemented, including one of the paragraphs that envisaged the withdrawal of the Russian army to its initial positions. The EU served as a guarantor; however, despite Russia’s failure to fulfil its obligations under the 12-August agreement, the EU has refrained from imposing sanctions or inflicting political consequences on Russia. It was the very lesson for Georgia and thus, the Georgian people proved to be wise in 2022, never letting to be involved in the war that we have many times been through during our history, and the end of which is well known by the Georgian people", - he stated.

17 years ago, on August 11, 2008, 17 Georgian soldiers heroically fell in an unequal battle at Shindisi against the Russian military troops.