Russian troops in no hurry to begin their pullback from Georgia

Last Modified: 18 Aug 2008
By: Nick Paton Walsh

As Russia announces a start to its military withdrawal, Channel 4 News travels to Karaleti, reportedly the site of atrocities against Georgians.

Russia has agreed to begin withdrawing its forces from Georgia today and this afternoon Moscow announced that the military pullback had begun.

But witnesses on the ground said they had seen no evidence of it. And the Russian commander in charge declared: "We will not be leaving as fast as we came."

Channel 4 News travelled from the capital Tbilisi, through Russian-controlled Gori, to the villages of Berbuki and Sveneti, between Georgia and South Ossetia.

They are the first international TV news crew to gain access to the village of Karaleti, reportedly the site of the worst atrocities inside Georgia.

The few people still left in the deserted village spoke of killings and abductions by South Ossetian militia.