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Russia 'starts Georgia pull-out' Russia 'starts Georgia pull-back'
(40 minutes later)
Russia has started to withdraw troops from Georgia, Moscow's general staff says, following a pledge by President Dmitry Medvedev. There is disagreement between Moscow and Tbilisi over whether or not Russia has begun withdrawing troops from Georgia, as promised.
Mr Medvedev promised to abide by the terms of a ceasefire brokered to end 10 days of fighting in Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia. Announcing a "pull-back" from Georgia proper into South Ossetia, a Russian general made clear he did not regard the province as Georgian territory.
But Russian troops remain stationed near the Georgian capital Tbilisi. According to Russian media, some combat units inside South Ossetia were withdrawn to Russia during the day.
Moscow says it has the right to keep some troops as peacekeepers in a buffer zone around South Ossetia. A top Georgian official said there was no evidence of any Russian withdrawal.
The West has repeatedly urged Russia to withdraw its troops. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier promised to abide by the terms of a ceasefire brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to end the conflict over South Ossetia which erupted 11 days ago, when the Georgian army tried to wrest back control and Russia sent in its troops to drive them out.
France has said it would call a special EU summit if Russia did not comply. Russian troops remain stationed near the Georgian capital Tbilisi, with Moscow saying it has the right to keep some troops as peacekeepers in a buffer zone around South Ossetia.
Mr Medvedev has arrived in North Ossetia, the Russian province bordering South Ossetia, on his first visit to the region since the fighting. The West has repeatedly urged Russia to withdraw its troops and France has said it will call a special EU summit if Russia does not comply.
While in the provincial capital Vladikavkaz, he is due to decorate 30 soldiers of Russia's 58th Army for valour during the conflict. Mr Medvedev has arrived in North Ossetia, the Russian province bordering South Ossetia, on his first visit to the region since the conflict began.
Monitoring call Decorating Russian soldiers for valour during the recent fighting, he said that Georgia's attack on South Ossetia "must not go unpunished".
"The pull-out of peacekeeping forces started today," said the general staff's deputy chief, Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, during a daily briefing on Monday. "We take a hard line on security throughout the region... [and] will do whatever is necessary," he added.
'Pulling back - not withdrawing'
"The pull-back of peacekeeping forces started today," the deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, said in Moscow.
HAVE YOUR SAYRussia needs to wake up to a new reality where the US and the world is trying to achieve unification and stabilityJanko Hrasko, Slovakia Send us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAYRussia needs to wake up to a new reality where the US and the world is trying to achieve unification and stabilityJanko Hrasko, Slovakia Send us your comments
But Russian tanks, artillery and other military vehicles are still in place at Igueti, just over 35km (22 miles) from the capital, Tbilisi, says the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, who is in the area. "We are talking about pulling back to the territory of South Ossetia. There should be no troops on the territory of Georgia."
Gen Nogovitsyn said that President Medvedev had agreed with President Sarkozy by telephone on Sunday on a "pull-back, not a withdrawal" of Russian troops.
Russian news agencies reported that several Russian military units, each mounted in five to 10 vehicles, left the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali on Monday for North Ossetia. The reports could not be confirmed independently.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports that Russian tanks, artillery and other military vehicles are still in place at Igueti, just over 35km (22 miles) from the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
There has been sporadic military activity along the highway to the town of Gori, our correspondent adds, pointing out that Russian forces control the entry and exit roads to the town.There has been sporadic military activity along the highway to the town of Gori, our correspondent adds, pointing out that Russian forces control the entry and exit roads to the town.
Moscow - which has had peacekeepers in South Ossetia since 1992 - says it will only fully withdraw combat troops from Georgian territory once extra security measures are in place.Moscow - which has had peacekeepers in South Ossetia since 1992 - says it will only fully withdraw combat troops from Georgian territory once extra security measures are in place.
See map of the region See map of the region
Mr Medvedev made the withdrawal pledge on Sunday, in a telephone call to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered last week's ceasefire. Alexander Lomaia, secretary of the Georgian National Security Council, told the BBC he had seen no evidence of Russian troops leaving Georgian soil on Monday.
But the Russian president did not clearly state that additional troops sent to Georgia during the conflict would return to Russia, suggesting some may retreat only as far as South Ossetia. Earlier on Monday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili appeared to take a conciliatory approach to Moscow.
And on Monday, he issued a stern message that any further aggression against Russian citizens would face a "crushing response". "Let's then start thinking, negotiating, how can we prevent the definitive estrangement of our two countries," he said in a televised speech.
"If anyone thinks that they can kill our citizens and escape unpunished, we will never allow this. If anyone tries this again, we will come out with a crushing response," he told an audience of Second World War veterans in the city of Kursk. Previously, Mr Saakashvili and Russian leaders had engaged in a fierce war of words, accusing each other of atrocities against civilians during the fighting.
Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili, who has taken a combative stance to Russia's actions so far, adopted a more conciliatory approach to Moscow's leadership in a televised speech on Monday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for an explanation after its president, Jakob Kellenberger, was refused entry to South Ossetia on a humanitarian mission.
"Let's then start thinking, negotiating how can we prevent the definitive estrangement of our two countries," he said.
Previously, Mr Saakashvili had launched repeated vehement verbal attacks on Moscow, accusing Russia of a string of human rights abuses inside Georgia, including "ethnic cleansing".
Monday's speech represented a departure from that and was the first time he had called for direct negotiations with Moscow since the crisis began.
"Let's resolve problems through civilised methods," he said.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for an explanation after its president, Jakob Kellenberger, was refused entry to South Ossetia on a humanitarian mission.
Several non-governmental organisations have complained of difficulties in getting access to South Ossetia, where entry points are controlled by Russian troops.Several non-governmental organisations have complained of difficulties in getting access to South Ossetia, where entry points are controlled by Russian troops.
In South Ossetia itself, the self-styled president Eduard Kokoity dismissed his government on Sunday, accusing them of being slow to distribute humanitarian aid. South Ossetia's self-styled president, Eduard Kokoity, has said he will not allow international peacekeepers to be deployed in his country.
He has said he will not allow international peacekeepers to be deployed in his country, and that he has asked Russia to station a permanent military base in South Ossetia.
Buffer zoneBuffer zone
There are likely to be many more discussions about the exact interpretation of the rather vague ceasefire deal - especially over just how far into Georgia Russian troops are allowed to remain, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Moscow. PEACE PLAN No more use of forceStop all military actions for goodFree access to humanitarian aidGeorgian troops return to their places of permanent deploymentRussian troops to return to pre-conflict positionsInternational talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7551576.stm">Day-by-day: Georgia-Russia crisis class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7566538.stm">In pictures: Russians in Georgia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7567078.stm">Georgia left reeling There are likely to be many more discussions about the exact interpretation of the rather vague ceasefire deal - especially over just how far into Georgia Russian troops are allowed to remain, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Moscow.
PEACE PLAN No more use of forceStop all military actions for goodFree access to humanitarian aidGeorgian troops return to their places of permanent deploymentRussian troops to return to pre-conflict positionsInternational talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia Day-by-day: Georgia-Russia crisisIn pictures: Russians in GeorgiaGeorgia left reeling
A covering letter attached to the ceasefire apparently says Russia can place peacekeepers in a buffer zone of a few kilometres around the South Ossetian border, our correspondent says.A covering letter attached to the ceasefire apparently says Russia can place peacekeepers in a buffer zone of a few kilometres around the South Ossetian border, our correspondent says.
Moscow has already said it plans to enforce a 1999 peacekeeping accord on South Ossetia, which would allow it to put Russian peacekeepers 14km into Georgia proper.Moscow has already said it plans to enforce a 1999 peacekeeping accord on South Ossetia, which would allow it to put Russian peacekeepers 14km into Georgia proper.
Mr Saakashvili has called for international monitoring of the pull-out. Mr Saakashvili has called for international monitoring of the withdrawal.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped Mr Medvedev would keep his word on the troop withdrawal pledge, warning that Russia's reputation as a potential partner was "in tatters".US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped Mr Medvedev would keep his word on the troop withdrawal pledge, warning that Russia's reputation as a potential partner was "in tatters".
Mr Sarkozy said on Sunday there would be "serious consequences" in Moscow's relations with the European Union if Russia failed to honour its word. Mr Sarkozy has said that if Russia does not withdraw "rapidly and totally" under the terms of the ceasefire, he will call an extraordinary meeting of the council of the European Union.
And in a separate opinion article published by Le Figaro newspaper on Monday, he said that if Russia did not "rapidly and totally" implement the pull-out as specified in the ceasefire, he would "call an extraordinary meeting of the council of the European Union".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has travelled to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to express support for Mr Saakashvili, and urged a prompt Russian withdrawal.
The UN puts the number of those displaced in the conflict at 160,000The UN puts the number of those displaced in the conflict at 160,000
As well as key towns such as Gori and Senaki, in the west, Russian troops also hold almost all of the main highway running east-west through Georgia. As well as key towns such as Gori, and Senaki in the west, Russian troops also hold almost all of the main highway running east-west through Georgia.
There are reports of Russia moving SS-21 missile launchers near to South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, putting them within range of Tbilisi.There are reports of Russia moving SS-21 missile launchers near to South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, putting them within range of Tbilisi.
The conflict between Georgia and Russia erupted on 7 August, when Georgia launched an assault to retake South Ossetia, an enclave within Georgia controlled by pro-Russian separatists. There had been frequent exchanges of fire before the escalation. This month's fighting devastated towns and villages and forced nearly 160,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UN refuge agency.
Georgia's operation triggered Russia's counter-offensive. The heavy fighting devastated towns and villages and forced nearly 160,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UNHCR. Nato foreign ministers are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss the crisis. The US is backing efforts by both Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance.
Nato foreign ministers are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss the crisis. The US is backing efforts by both Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance, and on Sunday Mrs Merkel offered her support to Tbilisi's bid.
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