Russian Tanks Roll Deep Into Georgia, Break Truce

A column of Russia's Grad (Hail) multiple rocket launch system enters central Tskhinvali, the capital of Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia, August 12, 2008. (Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

From Yahoo News/AP:

OUTSIDE GORI, Georgia - Russian tanks rolled into the crossroads city of Gori on Wednesday then pressed deeper into Georgian territory, violating the truce designed to end the six-day war that has uprooted 100,000 people and scarred the Georgian landscape.

Georgian officials said Gori was looted and bombed by the Russians. An AP reporter later saw dozens of tanks and military vehicles leaving the city, roaring south.

Troops waved at journalists and one soldier jokingly shouted to a photographer: "Come with us, beauty, we're going to Tbilisi!"

To the west, Abkahzian separatist forces backed by Russian military might pushed out Georgian troops and even moved into Georgian territory, defiantly planting a flag.

"The border has been along this river for 1,000 years," separatist official Ruslan Kishmaria told AP on Wednesday. He said Georgia would have to accept the new border and taunted the retreating Georgian forces, saying they had received "American training in running away."

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My Comment: So far it is only the AP who are reporting on Russian tanks moving to the south of Gori. There are many more independent reporters in the area, and I assume that they will be confirming if this is true in the next few hours.

I personally would not be surprised if they are there. The highway that runs through Gori is what connects the east and west parts of Georgia, it is one of those strategic crossroads that military planners always cultivate to have. By being there, they will have effectively cut the country into two.

The big question is the following ..... will those Russian forces stay there or will they move on to the south of Gori where the pipelines are, or will they move on to the capital city of Georgia 40 kilometers away. It is late in the day in Georgia right now, we will probably know the answer in the next 18 hours (if not sooner).