Russian forces yesterday stepped up preparations to withdraw from bases and checkpoints surrounding two separatist regions in Georgia, ahead of a deadline being closely watched by the West.
Moscow must pull back thousands of troops from buffer zones surrounding South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Friday, under the terms of a deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Russia left troops in the areas after they routed Georgian forces during the war in August.
Heavy activity was observed at installations across Georgia - from around the central city of Gori, near South Ossetia, to Zugdidi in the west, near Abkhazia on the Black Sea.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Moscow's intention to meet the withdrawal deadline, but accused unspecified forces in Georgia of trying to stir up tensions.
The ministry said the deadly car bomb explosion outside Russian troop headquarters in South Ossetia on Friday and other recent violence showed that "certain forces in Tbilisi ... are deliberately trying to exacerbate the situations in the region and provoke new military actions through a series of terror attacks," according to a statement.
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