Hind-sight is 20/20. Russia made a huge gamble doing what they did. They were opportunistic and gambled and won. Save Russia interveening, there is no reason why Georgia couldn't have retaken Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Now, given the fact that the West is tied up in other conflicts, the timing seemed rather shitty for Georgia. They have had this dispute for what? 17 years? Why, now, would they do such a thing?
Perhaps Russia should finance the reconstruction. Seems like if they really wanted to just save the ethnic Russians, they would love to rebuild and give the areas' leadership somehting to work with.
Russia instigated the whole incident. "Concern" for "ethnic Russians" is just a bullshit propaganda. They manufacture these "concerns" to support aggression against their neighbors.