Russia retakes Georgian village near South Ossetia

Original: Russia retakes Georgian village near South Ossetia

Hundreds of Russian troops have moved into a disputed Georgian village near the rebel region of South Ossetia after Russian forces previously appeared to be pulling out, Georgian police said on Saturday.
European Union ceasefire monitors confirmed the Russian soldiers had entered the village of Perevi and called for their immediate withdrawal.
Interior ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said from 500 to 600 Russian soldiers moved into Perevi early Saturday in what he described as a "military operation" involving paratroopers, helicopters and armoured vehicles. (AFP)

source: AFP
Georgia and EU monitors had announced Friday that Russian forces were withdrawing from Perevi, a mainly ethnic Georgian village of about 1,100 people on the western border of South Ossetia, which had been under Russian contr rom visiting the village, saying this was "unacceptable under all relevant instruments of international law".

Georgia has accused Russia of violating the ceasefire agreement by refusing to withdraw from Perevi and other positions that had been under Tbilisi's control before the war.

Georgia has also called for Russia to withdraw from the Akhalgori district in South Ossetia and the Kodori Gorge in Georgia's other separatist region, Abkhazia. Both areas were under Tbilisi's control prior to the conflict.

Russian forces moved deep into Georgia in August to repel a Georgian military attempt to retake South Ossetia, which had received extensive backing from Moscow since breaking away from Tbilisi's control in the early 1990s.

They later withdrew to within South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow recognised as independent states.