Russian troops on outskirts of Georgian town

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKLD10507220080813

Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:14pm BST

TBILISI (Reuters) - Russian troops have set up at least two checkpoints on the outskirts of the Georgian town of Gori, witnesses said on Wednesday, in what Georgia said was a breach of a ceasefire.

An eyewitness said Russian troops had advanced south from South Ossetia to occupy an abandoned Georgian artillery base some 4-5 kilometres (2-3 miles) from Gori town centre.

A Reuters cameraman said he had seen a second Russian checkpoint on a road leading east from the town towards the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

Georgia had earlier accused Russia of sending dozens of tanks and armoured personnel carriers into the streets of Gori, the focus of Georgia's military buildup when fighting broke out last week in South Ossetia.

"As I speak now, Russian tanks are attacking Gori," President Mikheil Saakashvili told a news conference. He said Russian forces were in breach of a ceasefire announced on Tuesday by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The Russian military denied any incursion, saying "there are no Russian peacekeeping units or forces supporting them in Gori".

A witness in Gori, 25 km (15 miles) south of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, told Reuters he saw no Russian tanks in the town but added that "people are confused and edgy, panicking easily."

The witness said later that Russian forces had set up a checkpoint at the artillery base, "on the old Tskhinvali road north of Gori".

Gori is now practically deserted, and Georgian police blocked the main highway to Gori just outside Tbilisi