Russia Pulls Troops Out of Georgian Port

(NEWSER) - Russia says it will continue to patrol the key Black Sea port of Poti despite Western demands that it pull back to pre-conflict positions, Reuters reports. A Russian general said troops will continue "peacekeeping" operations there even though the city falls outside the perimeter agreed upon in the recent cease-fire. More»

(NEWSER) - Russian troops took control of the key Georgian port of Poti for about 4 hours today, just one day after it pledged to withdraw from the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some 70 Russian troops entered the Black Sea port this morning and detained 20 Georgian coast guard members before returning to their base in the town of Senaki. The Georgian soldiers were taken away on top of APCs, handcuffed and blindfolded. The port, a keystone of the area’s economy, has been forced to shut down, at least temporarily. More»

Forces said to occupy villages, major highway and power plant

(NEWSER) - Dimitry Medvedev said today he'll start pulling troops out of Georgia tomorrow, but has no plans to withdraw from the separatist stronghold of South Ossetia, the BBC reports. The Russian president made the pledge after a phone conversation with Nicolas Sarkozy, who had brokered a ceasefire Friday. Despite signing the agreement, Russia has continued to control a wide swath of Georgia, including the city of Gori and the main highway through the western part of the country, the AP reports, and today confirmed that it had taken over a major power plant. More»

Nation withdraws embassy staff from 'aggressor nation'

(NEWSER) - Georgia pulled its diplomats from Moscow today, charging that it cannot engage in diplomacy with an “aggressor country,” the AP reports. A spokesman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the Georgians’ cutting of diplomatic ties would not benefit relations between the two countries. Russian troops remain in Georgia, both in the breakaway republics and the “buffer zone” in the country proper. More»

'Peacekeeping' posts appear likely to remain on Georgian soil

(NEWSER) - Having withdrawn from the Georgian city of Gori, Russia said tonight it is in full compliance with a cease-fire agreement, the New York Times reports. Despite criticism from the US and France, nations that helped broker the deal, Moscow continues to occupy the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, plus perimeter posts on Georgian soil—installations it says are permanent and part of a “peacekeeping” mission. More»