Russia’s Wars: Listing Equipment Losses During The 2008 Russo-Georgian War

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

In August 2008, the militaries of Russia and the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia fought Georgia in a brief five-day war. On August 1, South Ossetian forces began shelling Georgia in spite of a 1992 ceasefire agreement. In response, the Georgian Army was sent into territory controlled by South Ossetia on the 7th of August, taking control over most of the city of Tskhinvali. Russia accused Georgia of committing genocide as an excuse to enter the war on behalf of South Ossetia, launching a full-scale land, air and sea invasion of Georgia on the 8th of August.

Despite being chaotic in nature, the Russian invasion managed to overwhelm the Georgian Armed Forces in its entirety. In sharp contrast to the performance of Ukrainian forces during the 2022 invasion, most Georgian forces fled ahead of the Russian advance, leaving many of their vehicles and weapons behind intact. This military defeat came after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had invested large sums of money into reequipping the Georgian Armed Forces with modern equipment from 2004 onwards in anticipation of a possible conflict with Russia over Georgia's breakaway regions. This included anything from Israeli Spyder SAM systems and LAR-160 MRLs to Hermes 450 UAVs.

The Russian naval blockade of the Georgian Black Sea coastline (in which the now infamous late cruiser Moskva participated) and the capture of the port city of Poti led to the destruction of the Georgian Navy, which was scuttled in port by Russian forces. Despite the bombing of Georgian air bases, the Georgian Air Force's Su-25s and Mi-24s managed to fly a number of sorties before being hidden in an effort to conserve them. Two Mi-24s and one Mi-14 were captured and destroyed by Russia in addition to the loss of three An-2s and three Hermes 450 UAVs in the months leading up to the conflict. Russian and Abkhaz forces opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge before a ceasefire agreement was reached on August 12. Russian forces temporarily occupied several Georgian cities as the South Ossetians began to ethnicly cleanse its territory of Georgians. Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia completed its withdrawal of troops from undisputed parts of Georgia on October 8.

After the cessation of hostilities, most of the captured weaponry was passed on to the militaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Fifteen T-72B MBTs and two BMP-2s captured in a Georgian Army garrison near the city of Gori were blown up by the Russian Army rather than returned by Georgia. Though suffering heavy materiel losses, the Georgian Army succeeded in conserving its most advanced systems, including its LAR-160 MRLs and Spyder SAM systems. Nonetheless, Georgia suffered the painful loss of four Buk SAM systems and five 203mm 2S7 Pion SPGs that it had to leave behind. Georgian Sypder and Buk-M1 SAM systems were responsible for the destruction of three aircraft, including one Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, but Russia otherwise suffered very light losses during the five-day war.

A detailed list of the destroyed and captured vehicles of both sides can be seen below. This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is higher than recorded here. ATGMs, MANPADS, mortars and pickup trucks are not included in this list. The dates given do not always indicate the precise date on when the equipment was lost and should instead be considered an approximation. The Soviet flag is used when the equipment in question was produced prior to 1991.

(Click on the numbers to get a picture of each individual captured or destroyed vehicle)

Russia (78, of which destroyed: 74, damaged: 2, captured: 2)

Tanks (4, of which destroyed: 4)

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Clik here to view. 1 T-55A: (1, destroyed [South Ossetian])
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Clik here to view. 1 T-62M: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 T-72B: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 T-72B Obr. 1989: (1, destroyed)

Armoured Fighting Vehicles (4, of which destroyed: 3, captured: 1)

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Clik here to view. 2 BRDM-2: (1, destroyed)(1, captured [South Ossetian])
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Clik here to view. 2 BRDM-2M: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (20, of which destroyed: 19, damaged: 1)

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Clik here to view. 10 BMP-1: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(3, destroyed)(4, destroyed)(5, destroyed)(6, destroyed)(7, 8 and 9, destroyed)(10, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 4 BMP-1P: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(3, destroyed)(4, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 5 BMP-2: (1, destroyed [South Ossetian])(2, destroyed)(3, destroyed)(4, destroyed)(1, damaged)
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Clik here to view. 1 BMD-2: (1, destroyed)

Armoured Personnel Carriers (5, of which destroyed: 3, damaged: 1, captured: 1)

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Clik here to view. 1 BTR-70: (1, captured)
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Clik here to view. 4 BTR-80: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(3, destroyed)(1, damaged)

Armoured Recovery Vehicles (1, of which destroyed: 1)

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Clik here to view. 1 BREM-Ch: (1, destroyed)

Artillery Support Vehicles (1, of which destroyed: 1)

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Clik here to view. 1 1V13(M) battery fire control center: (1, destroyed)

Self-Propelled Artillery (1, of which destroyed: 1)

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Clik here to view. 1 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika: (1, captured and destroyed [South Ossetian])

Aircraft (8, of which destroyed: 8)

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Clik here to view. 1 Su-25 close air support aircraft: (1, damaged beyond economical repair)
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Clik here to view. 2 Su-25BM close air support aircraft: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 2 Su-25SM close air support aircraft: (1, destroyed)(2, damaged beyond economical repair and scrapped)
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Clik here to view. 2 Su-24M strike aircraft: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 Tu-22M3 strategic bomber: (1, destroyed)

Helicopters (2, of which destroyed: 2)

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Clik here to view. 1 Mi-8MT transport helicopter: (1, destroyed [accident])
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Clik here to view. 1 Mi-8MTKO transport helicopter: (1, destroyed [accident])

Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps (32, of which destroyed: 32)

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Clik here to view. 11 GAZ-66: (1 and 2, destroyed)(3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, destroyed)(10, destroyed [South Ossetian])(11, destroyed [South Ossetian])
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Clik here to view. 3 ZiL-131: (1, destroyed)(2 and 3, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 KrAZ-225B: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 Ural-375D: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 11 Ural-4320: (1, destroyed)(2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, destroyed)(11, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 9 KamAZ 6x6: (1, destroyed)(2 and 3, destroyed)(4, 5, 6 and 7, destroyed)(8, destroyed)(9, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 UAZ-452: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 2 UAZ-469: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed [South Ossetian])(3, destroyed [South Ossetian])
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Clik here to view. 2 Unknown truck: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)

Georgia (186, of which destroyed: 89, damaged: 1, captured: 96)

Tanks (44, of which destroyed: 27, captured: 17)

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Clik here to view. 14 T-72AV: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(3, destroyed)(4, destroyed)(5, destroyed)(6, destroyed)(1, captured)(2, captured)(3, damaged and captured)(4, damaged and captured)(5, captured)(6, captured)(7, captured)(8, captured)
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Clik here to view. 29 T-72B: (1, 2 and 3, destroyed)(4, destroyed)(5, captured and destroyed)(6, captured and destroyed)(7, captured and destroyed)(8, captured and destroyed)(9, captured and destroyed)(10, captured and destroyed)(11, captured and destroyed)(12, captured and destroyed)(13, captured and destroyed)(14, captured and destroyed)(15, captured and destroyed)(16, captured and destroyed)(17, captured and destroyed)(18, captured and destroyed)(19, captured and destroyed)(20, captured and destroyed)(21, captured and destroyed)(1, captured)(2, captured)(3, captured)(4, captured)(5, captured)(6 and 7, captured)(8, captured)
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Clik here to view. 1 T-72 SIM-1: (1, captured)

Armoured Fighting Vehicles (2, of which destroyed: 1, captured: 1)

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Clik here to view. 2 MT-LB: (1, destroyed)(1, captured)

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (25, of which destroyed: 19, captured: 6)

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Clik here to view. 2 BMP-1: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 14 BMP-1U 'Shkval': (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 captured)
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Clik here to view. 9 BMP-2: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(3, captured and destroyed)(4, captured and destroyed)(1, captured)(2 and 3, captured)(4, captured)(5, captured)

Armoured Personnel Carriers (3, of which destroyed: 2, captured: 1)

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Clik here to view. 3 BTR-80: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(1, captured)

Infantry Mobility Vehicles (3, of which captured: 3)

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Clik here to view. 1 HMMWV: (1, captured)
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Clik here to view. 2 Otokar Cobra: (1, captured)(2, damaged and captured)

Command Posts (1, of which captured: 1)

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Clik here to view. 1 9S470M command post (for Buk-M1): (1, captured)

Engineering Vehicles And Equipment (5, of which destroyed: 1, captured: 4)

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Clik here to view. 1 BTS-2 armoured recovery vehicle: (1, captured)
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Clik here to view. 1 MTU-55 armoured vehicle-launched bridge: (1, captured)
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Clik here to view. 1 BAT-2 heavy engineering vehicle: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 2 Mini MineWolf remote controlled mine clearance systems: (1 and 2, captured)

Towed Artillery (25, of which destroyed: 1, captured: 24)

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Clik here to view. 1 76mm ZiS-3 divisional gun: (1)
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Clik here to view. 4 85mm D-44 divisional gun: (1, 2, 3 and 4, captured)
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Clik here to view. 2 100mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun: (1, captured)(2, captured)
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Clik here to view. 17 122mm D-30 howitzer: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, captured)(8, 9, 10 and 11, captured)(12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, captured)
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Clik here to view. 1 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer: (1, destroyed)

Self-Propelled Artillery (9, of which destroyed: 6, captured: 3)

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Clik here to view. 4 152mm ShKH vz. 77 DANA: (1, destroyed)(2, destroyed)(1, captured)(2, captured)
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Clik here to view. 5 203mm 2S7 Pion: (1, 2, 3 and 4, destroyed)(1, captured)

Anti-Aircraft Guns (2, of which captured: 2)

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Clik here to view. 1 23mm ZU-23: (1, captured)
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Clik here to view. 1 57mm AZP S-60: (1, captured)

Surface-To-Air Missile Systems (6, of which captured: 6)

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Clik here to view. 2 9K33 Osa-AK: (1, captured)(2, captured)
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Clik here to view. 2 9A310M1 TELAR (for Buk-M1): (1, captured)(2, captured)
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Clik here to view. 2 9A39M1 TEL (for Buk-M1): (1, captured)(2, captured)

Radars (2, of which destroyed: 2)

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Clik here to view. 1 P-18 ''Spoon Rest D'': (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 ST86U/36D6-M ''Tin Shield'': (1, destroyed)

Aircraft (3, of which destroyed: 3)

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Clik here to view. 3 An-2 utility aircraft: (1, 2 and 3, destroyed)

Helicopters (3, of which destroyed: 3)

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Clik here to view. 1 Mi-14BT transport helicopter: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 Mi-24V attack helicopter: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 Mi-24P attack helicopter: (1, destroyed)

Naval Ships (9, of which destroyed: 7, captured: 2)

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Clik here to view. 1 La Combattante II-class fast attack craft Dioskuria '303': (1, scuttled)
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Clik here to view. 1 Matka-class missile boat Tbilisi '302': (1, scuttled)
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Clik here to view. 1 Lindau-class minesweeper Aeti: (1, scuttled but subsequently refloated and returned to service as a training platform.)
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Clik here to view. 1 Stenka class patrol boat P-21 Giorgi Toreli: (1, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 3 Zhuk class patrol boat (Operated by the Coast Guard): (1, P 204, destroyed)(2, P 203 scuttled and subsequently refloated but not returned to service)(3, P 205, destroyed)
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Clik here to view. 1 Project 1387 class patrol boat Tskhaltubo '101': (1, scuttled)
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Clik here to view. 2 RHIB: (1, captured)(2, captured)