“S. Ossetia, a part of sovereign Georgia”
by the way - when Geogia was leaving USSR in 1991 using the independence law issued by Gorbachev it should have asked Georgian republics (Abkhazia, Ossetia and Adjaria) about their will (do they agree to leave or want to stay with Russia). So, formally S. Ossetia is NOT a part of Geogia both de-facto and de-jure.
And So Ossetia did not, under the Independence Law declare itself until AFTERwards. And So. Ossetia only did so by declaring WAR against Georgia BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
Each of the provinces should have filed their own "independence". They did not do so. Why? Georgia should not have had to ask permission of any province. These provinces needed to declare themselves. They didn't. But now wish to claim they are a part of Russia. By their silence, they allied with Georgia.
You may wish that it was this way, but that does not make it so.
Nobody in the world, outside of Russia and Ossetia, recognizes Ossetia as a country. They certainly do recognize Georgia as a country.