'The columns are moving from Tskhinvali to Russia,' he told Reuters near the central Georgian town of Gori. '(Russian President Dmitry) Medvedev has said we are to withdraw.'

'You must understand there are a large amount of troops,' he said.

A Reuters correspondent saw fewer soldiers than normal at the main Russian checkpoint outside Gori. A Georgian official said the Russian soldiers had not withdrawn but had instead redeployed in the area. -- REUTERS