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

By Jakub Janovsky, naalsio26, Aloha, Dan and Kemal

 

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.

 

For a list of Russian equipment losses during the First Chechen War click here. For a list of Russian equipment losses during the Second Chechen War click here. And for a list of Russian equipment losses during the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine click here.

 

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

 

Russia (93, of which destroyed: 86, damaged: 4, captured: 3)

Tanks (4, of which destroyed: 4)

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

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

• 2 BRDM-2: (1, destroyed) (1, captured [South Ossetian])
• 2 BRDM-2M: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed)

 

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (21, of which destroyed: 19, damaged: 2)

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

 

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

• 1 BTR-70: (1, captured)
• 4 BTR-80: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed) (3, destroyed) (1, damaged)

 

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

• 1 BREM-Ch: (1, destroyed)

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

• 1 1V13(M) battery fire control center: (1, destroyed)
  

 

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

• 1 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika: (1, captured and destroyed [South Ossetian])

Aircraft (8, of which destroyed: 8)

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

 

Helicopters (2, of which destroyed: 2)

• 1 Mi-8MT transport helicopter: (1, destroyed [accident])
• 1 Mi-8MTKO transport helicopter: (1, destroyed [accident])
  

 

Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps (46, of which destroyed: 44, damaged: 1, captured: 1)

• 11 GAZ-66: (1 and 2, destroyed) (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, destroyed) (10, destroyed [South Ossetian]) (11, destroyed [South Ossetian])
• 3 ZiL-131: (1, destroyed) (2 and 3, destroyed)
  
• 2 KrAZ-255B: (1, destroyed) (1, damaged)
  
• 1 Ural-375D: (1, destroyed)
• 13 Ural-4320: (1, destroyed) (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, destroyed) (11, destroyed) (12, destroyed) (13, destroyed)
• 1 Armoured Ural-4320: (1, damaged and captured)
  
• 9 KamAZ 6x6: (1, destroyed) (2 and 3, destroyed) (4, 5, 6 and 7, destroyed) (8, destroyed) (9, destroyed)
  
• 1 UAZ-452: (1, destroyed)
• 3 UAZ-469: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed [South Ossetian]) (3, destroyed [South Ossetian])
• 2 Unknown truck: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed)
  

Georgia (194, of which destroyed: 90, damaged: 3, captured: 101)

Tanks (44, of which destroyed: 27, damaged: 1, captured: 17)

• 14 T-72AV: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed) (3, destroyed) (4, destroyed) (5, destroyed) (6, destroyed) (1, damaged) (1, captured) (2, captured) (3, damaged and captured) (4, captured) (5, captured) (6, captured) (7, captured)
  
• 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)
• 2 T-72 SIM-1: (1, captured) (2, captured)
  

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

• 2 MT-LB: (1, destroyed) (1, captured)
  

 

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

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

• 3 BTR-80: (1, destroyed) (2, destroyed) (1, captured)
  

 

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

• 1 HMMWV: (1, captured)  
• 2 Otokar Cobra: (1, captured) (2, damaged and captured)

 

Command Posts (1, of which captured: 1)

• 1 9S470M command post (for Buk-M1): (1, captured)

 

Engineering Vehicles And Equipment (6, of which destroyed: 1, captured: 5)

• 1 VT-55KS armoured recovery vehicle: (1, captured)
• 1 MTU-55 armoured vehicle-launched bridge: (1, captured)
• 1 BAT-2 heavy engineering vehicle: (1, destroyed) 
• 1 M936 wrecker: (1, captured) 
  
• 2 Mini MineWolf remote controlled mine clearance systems: (1 and 2, captured) 

 

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

• 1 76mm ZiS-3 divisional gun: (1)
• 4 85mm D-44 divisional gun: (1, 2, 3 and 4, captured)
• 2 100mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun: (1, captured) (2, captured)
  
• 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)
• 1 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer: (1, destroyed)
  

 

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

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

 

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

• 1 23mm ZU-23: (1, captured)
• 1 57mm AZP S-60: (1, captured)

 

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

• 2 9K33 Osa-AK: (1, captured) (2, captured)
• 2 9A310M1 TELAR (for Buk-M1): (1, captured) (2, captured)
  
• 2 9A39M1 TEL (for Buk-M1): (1, captured) (2, captured)

 

Radars (2, of which destroyed: 2)

• 1 P-18 ''Spoon Rest D'': (1, destroyed)
• 1 ST86U/36D6-M ''Tin Shield'': (1, destroyed)

 

Aircraft (3, of which destroyed: 3)

• 3 An-2 utility aircraft: (1, 2 and 3, destroyed)

Helicopters (4, of which destroyed: 3, damaged: 1)

• 1 Mi-14BT transport helicopter: (1, destroyed)
• 1 Mi-24V attack helicopter: (1, destroyed) (2, damaged)
  
• 1 Mi-24P attack helicopter: (1, destroyed)

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

• 1 La Combattante II-class fast attack craft Dioskuria '303': (1, scuttled)
• 1 Matka-class missile boat Tbilisi '302': (1, scuttled)
• 1 Lindau-class minesweeper Aeti: (1, scuttled but subsequently refloated and returned to service as a training platform.)
• 1 Stenka class patrol boat P-21 Giorgi Toreli: (1, destroyed)
• 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)
• 1 Project 1387 class patrol boat Tskhaltubo '101': (1, scuttled)
• 2 RHIB: (1, captured) (2, captured)
  

Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps (49, of which destroyed: 18, damaged: 1, captured: 30)

• 7 MAZ-537: (1, destroyed) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, captured)
• 1 KrAZ-255B: (1, captured)
• 13 KrAZ-6322: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, destroyed) (9, destroyed) (10, destroyed) (1, captured) (2, captured) (3, captured)
• 1 Ural-375D: (1, captured)
• 1 Ural-43206: (1, captured)
• 1 KamAZ 6x6: (1, captured)
• 1 MAN KAT1 4x4: (1, captured)
• 1 UAZ-469: (1, captured and destroyed)
• 7 Land Rover Defender: (1, destroyed) (2 and 3, destroyed) (1, damaged) (1, damaged and captured) (2, captured) (3, captured)
• 8 M35A2: (1, captured) (2 and 3, captured) (4 and 5, captured) (6, captured) (7 and 8, captured)
  
• 4 M35A3: (1 and 2, destroyed) (3, destroyed) (1, captured)  
• 1 M916: (1, captured) 
• 4 M99A1 HMMWV: (1, 2, 3 and 4, captured) 

 

Special thanks to Lost Armour.

 

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