Adi reports, citing reuters, that Georgian troops are now in complete control of Tskhinvali. I won’t believe it until I see it - or at least until Saakashvili’s statement is confirmed. I seriously doubt that the Georgian military, how ever US-trained and equipped it might be, was able to secure Tskhinvali, unless the Russian troops deliberately retreated to the north. In the latter case, a protracted conflict may ensue, since it will be much more difficult for Georgia to penetrate north of Tskhinvali.

And, finally, what seems to be a piece of good news after a very hectic day. AFP says that the EU and the US are to send a joint delegation to South Ossetia, to negotiate the terms of a ceasefire. The two sides will be represented by a high level US official [the identity of whom has not been confirmed], and by her counterpart in Quai d’Orsay [as France is currently holding the EU presidency].

This latter piece of news might actually be a first step toward a more active involement of the West in Georgia, and towards involving a multilateral framework into the resolution of the conflict.

More about that later. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday evening :)