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Russia Stages a Substantial Withdrawal
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"We'll get the patches tomorrow," one soldier said, smiling as he responded to a reporter's question.
Dozens of Georgian police officers crammed into white-and-blue pickup trucks rushing into Gori at dusk, establishing checkpoints at the main entry points to the city and waving triumphantly as they toured the streets.
"Check all the cars coming in or out, but if you notice any Russian military vehicles leaving, just let them pass," David Rabusadze, head of the regional police force, told his charges as they took their positions in the road.
But in the town of Akhalgori, far from the combat zone and only a 45-minute drive northwest from Tbilisi, the Russian soldiers who departed after manning a checkpoint for the past week were quickly replaced by South Ossetian militiamen, who roamed the streets in armored vehicles bearing the South Ossetian flag. Georgian officials and civilians have accused the militias of killings during the Russian occupation.
"My men are gone, and Akhalgori is now in the hands of Ossetian rebels," a Russian colonel, who declined to give his name, said as he left the city in a green jeep.
Nine militiamen, wearing pieces of military uniforms and carrying Kalashnikov rifles, stood sentry on the main road into town. Asked how long they would stay, one man, who identified himself only as the checkpoint commander, said: "This is our land; we'll stay as long as we want. Basically, it is ours from now on."
He added, "We have not mistreated a single Georgian in town, and we will not," as a man standing beside him sheathed and unsheathed a six-inch knife.
Inside the ethnically mixed Georgian and Ossetian town, dozens of militiamen milled about the main square, centered on a statue of Saint George. The fighters said they considered Akhalgori the border of their rightful territory and would not go farther.
"There will not be a minute of peace as long as they stay here," said Gia Shermadini, a Georgian resident of a neighboring village. "We will devour each other."
Hours later, in Gori, Russian soldiers had all but vanished. Residents gathered in the streets and debated what would come next.
"Thank God they are leaving, but now it is time for the Georgian government to bring something to the people, not war," said Sophia Davitashvili, 56.
"Georgia was only defending its rightful territory from Russian aggression," replied a neighbor, Khatuna Khvedelidze, 43.
Moments before departing, Russian Gen. Vyacheslav Borisov, who on Friday was replaced as the top commander in the region, chatted with priests outside St. Mary's, the largest Orthodox church in the city.
"In my mind, I am already gone to Tskhinvali," he said, referring to the South Ossetian capital, which bore the brunt of the initial Georgian assault. "I am the last one left here. Just checking on things."
From a tattered, white plastic shopping bag, he presented a gift to the high priest: a blue and white striped Russian paratrooper undershirt. Then he was on his way.
