Russia 'starts Georgia pull-back'
 Russian troops are expected to pull out of Gori and other Georgian towns |
There is disagreement between Moscow and Tbilisi over whether or not Russia has begun withdrawing troops from Georgia, as promised.
Announcing a "pull-back" from Georgia proper into South Ossetia, a Russian general made clear he did not regard the province as Georgian territory.
According to Russian media, some combat units inside South Ossetia were withdrawn to Russia during the day.
A top Georgian official said there was no evidence of any Russian withdrawal.
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.
 |  We are talking about pulling back to the territory of South Ossetia  Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn deputy chief of the Russian General Staff |
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.
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.
Mr Medvedev has arrived in North Ossetia, the Russian province bordering South Ossetia, on his first visit to the region since the conflict began.
Decorating Russian soldiers for valour during the recent fighting, he said that Georgia's attack on South Ossetia "must not go unpunished".
"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.
Georgian TV has shown video of what it says is Russian armour pushing aside police cars in Igoeti, around 48km (30 miles) from Tiblisi, on 18 August
"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.
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.
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.
| PEACE PLAN No more use of force Stop all military actions for good Free access to humanitarian aid Georgian troops return to their places of permanent deployment Russian troops to return to pre-conflict positions International talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia  |
Earlier on Monday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili appeared to take a conciliatory approach to Moscow.
"Let's then start thinking, negotiating, how can we prevent the definitive estrangement of our two countries," he said in a televised speech.
Previously, Mr Saakashvili and Russian leaders had engaged in a fierce war of words, accusing each other of atrocities against civilians during the fighting.
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.
Several non-governmental organisations have complained of difficulties in getting access to South Ossetia, where entry points are controlled by Russian troops.
South Ossetia's self-styled president, Eduard Kokoity, has said he will not allow international peacekeepers to be deployed in his country.
Buffer 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.
The sight of GWB [US President George Bush] complaining about Russia's "disproportionate use of force" is hilarious
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.
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".
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.
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.
This month's fighting devastated towns and villages and forced nearly 160,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UN refuge agency.
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.
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