A senior Russian military official has said that Russian forces have begun pulling back from Georgia in a punctual fashion and did not anticipate any further extensions to the current timetable.
Russia is due to withdraw the bulk of its forces from Georgia today, amid a deepening crisis in its relations with western countries over its continued military presence in the country.
Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian military's General Staff, confirmed at a media briefing this morning that the pull-out had begun.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is deadlocked over Georgia, with the US saying it is prepared to veto a Russian draft resolution that seeks to implement a ceasefire plan brokered by France and agreed by Moscow.
The US says the plan is not being honoured.
Russia has already said it will not support a resolution drafted by France earlier this week. It called for an immediate withdrawal and reaffirmed Georgia's territorial integrity.
Moscow has said that while it will withdraw most soldiers, it will still keep a force stationed in Georgia's heartland.
