View source for 2001 Kodori crisis

{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict = 2001 Kodori crisis
|partof = the [[Abkhaz–Georgian conflict]] and [[Second Chechen War]]
|image = Abkhazia Kodori Valley.PNG
|image_size = 300px
|caption = Map of Abkhazia showing the location of the Kodori Gorge
|date = October 4–18, 2001
|place = [[Kodori Valley]], [[Abkhazia]]
|casus =
|territory =
|result = Abkhazian victory
|combatant1 = {{flag|Abkhazia}}
* [[Military of Abkhazia|Abkhaz military]]
|combatant2 = {{flagdeco|Chechnya|1991}} [[Chechen Republic of Ichkeria|Chechen division under Gelayev]]<br>{{flagdeco|Georgia (country)|1990}} Georgian guerrillas<ref>{{cite news|title=Abkhazia "on verge of war"|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1595847.stm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215115557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1595847.stm|url-status=live|archive-date=2008-02-15}}</ref>
|commander1 = {{flagicon|Abkhazia}} [[Vladislav Ardzinba]]
|commander2 = {{flagdeco|Chechnya|1991}} [[Ruslan Gelayev]]
|strength1 =
|strength2 =
|casualties1 =
|casualties2 =
|casualties3 = At least 40 killed<ref name="rferl.org">{{cite news|title=Caucasus Report (2001)|work=Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty|url=http://www.rferl.org/reports/caucasus-report/2001/10/34-121001.asp}}</ref>
|notes=
}}
{{Campaignbox Post-Soviet conflicts}}

The '''2001 Kodori crisis''' was a confrontation in the [[Kodori Valley]], [[Abkhazia]], in October 2001 between Georgians (who were supported by ethnic [[Chechen people|Chechen]] fighters) and Abkhazian forces.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/wr2k2/europe9.html|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 2002: Europe & Central Asia: Georgia|website=www.hrw.org}}</ref> The crisis was largely neglected by the world media, which was focused on the concurrent [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|US attack on Afghanistan]]. The fighting resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people.<ref name="rferl.org" />

==Timeline==
On October 4, 2001, a group of Chechen and Georgian fighters led by the commander [[Ruslan Gelayev]] entered the gorge from the Georgian side and attacked the village [[Giorgievskoe]].<ref name="rferl.org"/> Then, on October 8, 2001, a helicopter carrying United Nations observers was shot down over Kodori, killing nine.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1586098.stm | work=BBC News | title=UN helicopter shot down in Georgia | date=2001-10-08 | accessdate=2010-04-21| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100420204439/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1586098.stm| archivedate= 20 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
On 5 August 2004, Valery Chkhetiani, one of the Georgian fighters captured by Abkhazian forces, suffered a stroke during a walk and was brought to a hospital, where he died two days later, on 7 August. Chkhetiani, a resident of [[Kutaisi]] born in 1973, had been condemned to a prison sentence of 15 years.<ref name=kkuzel59712>{{cite web
|url = http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/59712
|title = В реанимации Сухумской клинической больницы скончался гражданин Грузии Валерий Чхетиани, содержавшийся в ИВС МВД Абхазии
|publisher = [[Caucasian Knot]]
|date = 15 August 2004
|accessdate = 15 February 2009
}}</ref>

On 29 July 2006, [[Mart Laar]], former prime minister of Estonia and then adviser to the Georgian president, was quoted as saying that the Kodori conflict was engineered by Russia. Laar also warned that future provocations of Georgia by Russia are to be expected, but that Georgia has prepared itself to make it through any challenges posed by Russia.<ref name="Baltic News Service">{{cite web|url =http://www.bns.ee/login.jsp?lang=en|title = GEORGIAN KODORI GORGE CRISIS WAS ENGINEERED BY RUSSIA - LAAR|publisher = [[Baltic News Service]]|date = 29 July 2006|accessdate = 8 May 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100620011744/http://www.bns.ee/login.jsp?lang=en| archivedate= 20 June 2010 | url-status= dead}}</ref>

On 30 April 2008, Russia accused Georgia of massing 1500 troops in the Kodori region in preparation to invade Abkhazia. Georgia maintained the troops were present in accordance with a 1994 accord that allowed for peacekeeping forces in the region and were essential to maintaining order after the 2001 Kodori crisis. Russia responded by deploying troops to the region, further escalating tensions between Russia and Georgia. These forces would later take part in [[Russo-Georgian War|the war in 2008]].<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/30/russia.georgia|title = Russia accuses Georgia of plans to invade breakaway region|work = [[The Guardian]]|date = 30 April 2008|accessdate = 8 May 2010| location=London| first=Luke| last=Harding}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Georgian-Abkhazian conflict}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kodori}}

[[Category:2001 in Abkhazia]]
[[Category:2001 in Europe|Kodori crisis]]
[[Category:2001 in Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2001]]
[[Category:Abkhaz–Georgian conflict]]
[[Category:October 2001 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Spillover of the Second Chechen War]]