Russian troops have started to withdraw from Kaspi and Igoeti, positions close to the Georgian capital, but show no signs of leaving Georgian territory. More than a dozen armoured personnel carriers and about 200 soldiers had moved into the Igoeti area on the main road to Tbilisi on Friday.
The Russian troops were seen pulling out of Igoeti on Saturday afternoon, back towards the town of Gori near South Ossetia. Georgian police and army are also in the area.
Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, travelling with an Estonian convoy, said the team had entered Gori's Stalin Square and were talking to the commander of Russian forces on Georgian territory.
The delegation, seeking to secure a withdrawal of Russian troops to pre-conflict positions, includes Richard Holbrooke, a former US ambassador to the UN, and Urmas Paet, the Estonian foreign minister. "They are questioning the commander as to why his forces are still here," Hull reported. "They have a very strong presence here in the town of Gori, and are encamped outside and dug in under camouflage. "The Russian troops are wandering around freely. They are talking through intepreters and it looks quite tense." Gori, a town of 55,000 people, is now deserted.
A foreign military observer, who asked not to be named, told Reuters: "Our understanding is that the agreement has been signed and Russian troops are starting to withdraw. But there are a lot of units scattered around this area. My understanding is that the process will take some time." |