Russia completed the withdrawal of its peacekeepers from the buffer zone
bordering Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, the commander of the
Russian peacekeepers in the region said yesterday.
"The personnel of all six checkpoints has left Georgia and has arrived in
South Ossetia. The last subdivision arrived at 8:30 p.m. Moscow time (1630 GMT).
Our peacekeepers were escorted by representatives from the European Union," Gen.
Marat Kulakhmetov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
"Together with Georgian officials we have measured the background radiation
and examined the area of posts. The ecological situation is normal, and no
explosive items have been found," the general said.
Meanwhile, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili confirmed
that Russian forces had pulled out from the southern border of the security zone
in South Ossetia.
Russian troops have been deployed in Georgian territories since the end of a
five-day conflict, which broke out after Georgia launched a sudden attack
against South Ossetia on Aug. 8 to reclaim control over the region. Russia sent
in troops the next day and defeated the Georgian forces.
Under a France-brokered cease-fire pact, Russia agreed to pull its troops out
from undisputed parts of Georgia by Oct. 10, leaving them in South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, two breakaway regions of Georgia, which Moscow recognized as
independent states on Aug. 26.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a conference in
France that Russian peacekeeping forces will complete withdrawal from the buffer
zones around South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Wednesday.