In a television address recorded for broadcast later the same day, President Mikheil Saakashvili demanded Russia leave Georgian territory immediately, but also made a plea to mend fences.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared on August 17 that troops who stormed in after a failed Georgian attempt to retake the pro-Russian breakaway region of South Ossetia, would begin pulling out around midday.

The 10-day confrontation has killed about 200 Georgians, dealt a blow to the Georgian military, damaged the country's economy, disrupted road and rail links and drew Western criticism of Saakashvili's handling of the crisis.

Russia says some 1,600 people were killed in the initial Georgian shelling of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali while Georgia accuses Russian and irregular forces of levelling Georgian villages around Tskhinvali.

Russia's withdrawal is due to go ahead under a six-point ceasefire plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, acting on behalf of the European Union. However, Russia has not set a deadline for its completion but say it depends on stability in Georgia.