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Russian forces began withdrawing Monday from Georgia per a cease-fire agreement signed by both countries last week, but it was unclear from where Moscow's troops and tanks would operate.
In Moscow, Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a briefing that "today, according to the peace plan, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and reinforcements has begun."
He said forces were leaving the strategic Georgia city of Gori.
Also Monday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev flew to Vladikavkaz, on the border with the breakaway region of South Ossetia, to hand out medals to troops returning from the short but intense war inside Georgia as they crossed back into Russian territory.
But by midday in the U.S., there were no signs that Russian forces were withdrawing from Gori. Reports from the region said Russian troops instead appeared to be fortifying their positions instead.
Also, The Associated Press reported that the only movement its correspondents saw was in the opposition direction â troops coming from Russia towards the Georgian capital city of Tblisi, some 55 miles to the east of Gori.
In addition, the State Department announced it was unable to confirm a Russian pull out.
Russian troops essentially cut Georgia in half, which now threatens Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's efforts to keep his nation in one piece.
According to terms of the pull-out agreement, which has been signed by Saakashvili and Medvedev, both armies are to pull back to positions held prior to when fighting broke out Aug. 7 in South Ossetia.
(c) 2008 Newsroom.
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