Why? Because they want to take all of Georgia and make it part of Russia.
Why should we care? There is a gas pipeline in Georgia that is the only gas pipeline feeding Europe that does not go through Russia.
Russia says it is part of Russia
No it doesn’t.
Show your source or take it back.
Instead it is the South Ossetians who would like to federate with Russia.
They would probably like to mimic their well to do neighbors in North Ossetia.
Wishing and hoping don’t make it so.