Russia armour seen pulling back from Georgia

by Dave Keating | August 21, 2008 at 03:29 am

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Russian armoured vehicles have been reported to be pulling back from the buffer zone around South Ossetia today, after the country said it would pull back but not out of Georgia.

Russia declared it would pull its troops back behind a buffer zone skirting rebel South Ossetia by Friday, but Georgia's President said Moscow appeared determined to maintain its grip on Georgia.

A Reuters correspondent saw a column of Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and artillery moving across the border from Georgia into Russia.

"I can see 21 T-72 tanks moving towards the Roki tunnel in the direction of Russia," said the reporter at the tunnel, which is a few kilometres (miles) from the Georgian-Russian border and is the main access route for Russian forces.

"I can also see four Grad artillery launchers, several armoured personnel carriers, and heavy trucks ready to move into the tunnel," the reporter said.