In July 2015, for several days, sounds of gunfire and powerful explosions were heard in Gori. The Ministry of Defense’s 5th Brigade was conducting training at the shooting range located in the Verkhvebi settlement. Near the shooting range were the apartment buildings that had been bombed by Russian aviation on 9 August 2008, as well as the Verkhvebi IDP settlement.

For several days, residents of this area held protest rallies and demanded that the training be stopped. According to them, the powerful explosions were damaging their houses. In addition, for the population traumatized by the war, the sound of gunfire caused discomfort — it reminded them of the days of war. Many of the cottages in the Verkhvebi IDP settlement were indeed cracked, although it was not determined whether this was caused by shifting soil or by the explosions.

A representative of the city hall met with the residents and promised that the gunfire would stop, but the training continued. On 31 July, a fire broke out at the shooting range. Dry grass burned. City hall representative Ioseb Mindiashvili informed the local residents about the decision made by the mayor and representatives of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense — that large-caliber weapons would no longer be used during training.

This problem had troubled the residents of the Verkhvebi settlement for a long time. After the 2008 war, they appealed to the government several times requesting that the shooting range be relocated, but the issue was never resolved. After the change of government, they hoped they would be heard, but even under the new administration the defense ministers were unable to change the situation. The explosions were so loud that they could be heard throughout the entire city. At the end of July 2015, Minister of Defense Tina Khidasheli arrived in Gori. According to her, certain regroupings would take place at military bases and shooting ranges throughout Georgia, but nothing would change in Gori for now.