Russian forces retake Georgian village
Russian troops withdrew from the village of Perevi on Friday but have
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Saturday, 13, Dec 2008 11:39
Russian troops have moved back into a Georgian village they withdrew from yesterday.
The two countries fought a war in August this year and Russian forces are yet to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire agreement which called for all troops to be withdrawn to positions prior to the outbreak of hostilities.
Yesterday, troops were pulled back from the village of Perevi in a move welcomed by European Union (EU) officials monitoring the ceasefire. However, they were sent back in today with local television showing pictures of soldiers unloading materials from trucks.
Russia's Interfax news agency cites a South Ossetian official, who represents the area seeking to break away from Georgia, as claiming that EU monitors were turning a blind eye to violence against locals.
Georgian officials have previously called on Russia to remove all its forces from its territory and have also asked neutral Switzerland to represent its interests in Russia, according to the Interfax news agency.
A spokeswoman for the European Union's monitoring mission in Georgia told the AFP news agency: "It's still unclear what the Russians are up to. We don't have a clear picture of whether they are planning to stay."
Russia's parliament has recognised South Ossetia and Abhkazia, the separatist regions of Georgia, as independent states.