Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says a convoy of Russian tanks
pushing deeper into Georgia towards the second largest city, Kutaisi,
has stopped.
Mr. Saakashvili gave no details on the Russian tank movement. But he
told CNN television Thursday that Russia currently occupies one-third
of his country.
He said the presence of Russian irregulars -- armed men who are not
full-time soldiers -- is extremely worrying. He accuses them of looting
and killing in ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia.
Earlier, Russian tanks took up positions outside the strategic city of
Gori after a stand-off with Georgian authorities who were trying to
re-enter the abandoned town. The Georgians had refused to endorse a
proposal for South Ossetian police to patrol Gori. It was not
immediately clear if the stand-off has ended, but no shooting has been
reported.
Elsewhere, witnesses say Russian troops entered the undefended Black
Sea port of Poti and took computers and other equipment from port
facilities. U.S. officials have accused Russia of disabling Georgian
military installations.