Georgia and South Ossetia Update 26b

Update as of 1000 Eastern Time / 1800 Tbilisi Time:

From CNN:

A Russian convoy that turned off a road leading to the Georgian capital was demilitarizing the area near the South Ossetia border so that Georgia could not launch new attacks, a spokesman for the Russian government said Wednesday.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says Russia has continued to attack the city of Gori.

The troops, which had been on Georgia's main east-west highway between Gori and Tbilisi, "never had plans" to travel to the capital, the spokesman said.

The Russians' final destination and objective were unclear, CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance reported.

Chance, who was riding in the convoy, said there was no resistance from Georgian soldiers, and it was possible that the Russians were on a scouting mission to choose a buffer zone between the breakaway region of South Ossetia and Georgian territory. Chance described the flag-waving Russians as relaxed. Watch more on the cease-fire accusations »

He said most soldiers refused to comment, but one told him: "We have come here with the approval of the Georgian people."

Earlier Wednesday, a Georgian official told CNN the troops were headed to the abandoned military base Uplistsikhe, which they intended to destroy. The base is six miles (10 km) east of Gori.

From Fox News:

DEVELOPING STORY: — Russian armored vehicles are moving deeper into Georgian territory, shattering a truce to end the six days of fighting.

Georgian officials say the city of Gori was looted and bombed by the Russians. An AP reporter later saw dozens of tanks and military vehicles leaving the city, roaring south.

Russian troops waved at journalists and one soldier jokingly shouted to a photographer: "Come with us, beauty, we're going to Tbilisi!"

Georgian President Mikhail Saaksvilli says Russians are enforcing some sort of blockade around Tbilisi, but have not entered the capital.

A FOX News reported in Tbilisi says they received a text message from other reporters warning them to "get out now." On their way out they witnessed more than 50 Russian armored vehicles on the road into Gori.

Russia Calls Halt to Fighting Border Battle Urging Restraint Breakaway Battle Photo A Russian government official who wasn't authorized to give his name said that Russian troops checked a Georgian military base near Gori and found lots of abandoned weapons and ammunition. Russian troops moved to take the supplies to a safe place as part of efforts to demilitarize the area.

Saaksvilli says the U.S. and the west have underestimated Russia's regional ambitions, saying Georgia warned the west that a large-scale Russian invasion was coming but were told by the U.S. State Department that the Russians "are not going to do that."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402701,00.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/13/georgia.russia.war/index.html

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