Dateline: BUCHAREST

In spite of news of President Medvedev signing on to a peace agreement brokered by Sarkozy, fresh fighting has erupted in Gori. Several journalists, quoted by AFP, said Russian troops and armored vehicles were present in Gori earlier today, and exchanged fire with Georgian troops.

More worrisome yet, a AFP photographer has seen a Russian convoy composed of armored vehicles, making its way from Gori to Tbilisi. According to the cited source, the convoy was at around 10 km SE of Gori, on the highway heading for Tbilisi.

Finally, here is another plea for help from Georgia, illustrating the current situation in Gori

I just spoke to my host dad in gori, russian troops are outside his house, breaking into homes. He is scared, the last thing he told me was help me help me. I dont know what to do. He lives in central gori and stayed to help the hospital and never left. Some one is trying to call him again now, but dont know what to do. he llives on 74 rustavli street in gori, behind school number 3.

Watch here a video of Russian troops heading toward Tbilisi.

1746 Update: The deputy Minister of Interior of Georgia denies Russian troops are heading for Tbilisi. According to Russian sources, troops were deployed in Gori to evacuate a Georgian military depot.

Medvedev has just come out with a statement announcing an end to the military operation “aiming to constrain Georgia to observe peace.” “The aggressor has been punished”, he said.

According to reports on the ground, Tbilisi has been the scene of some panicking last night, but the residents escaped a major offensive from the Russians.

I don’t have any reliable information on this, but Russia’s decision seems to have been a close call, with Russian troops within easy reach of Tbilisi. I guess that Russia figured the political cost of getting rid of Saakashvili had become too high, having probably received credible warnings from the US and European countries.

According to an exclusive report from a source in Tbilisi, residents are starting to leave the Georgian capital, heading for Armenia and Eastern Georgia [Kacheti]. Source says: “People started leaving in armenia or kacheti… Roads full of cars.” The same source says major disruption to cell phone signal.

Considering that Tbilisi is now host to massive amount of refugees from occupied regions, it is reasonable to expect a serious humanitarian problem caused by massive inflows of refugees into Armenia. Might be a good time for Turkey to step in?

Will keep you updated as we get more information from Tbilisi.

Update: I advised my source [and good friend] to leave for Yerevan. Here is his response: “Banks closed or not giving money, so I couldn’t go to Armenia… I hope will stop soon Russian aggression by international helping.”

Russian troops have taken control of the major highway passing through Gori, and “split the country’s western part with the east”, declared Saakashvili some 30 minutes ago, quoted by Civil Georgia . Here are other excerpts from Saakashvili desperate’s speech:

Situation is extremely grave. This is occupation attempt, attempt to totally occupy Georgia, attempt to destroy Georgia.”

Russia goal is to put an end to existence of the Georgian state.

We are receiving only moral and humanitarian help from the international community, but we need more than that. We want them to stop this barbaric aggressor.

Georgians are now bracing for an all-out attack by Russia on Tbilisi, with the aim of forcing President Saakashvili to step down.

[photo source: NY Times]

After three days of fighting, and following Georgia’s unilateral ceasefire, Russian forces have apparently shifted from aerial bombing of Georgian targets to ground movement. According to Georgian officials, Russian troops have crossed the Georgian-Ossetian boundary and are now moving against the city of Gori, NNW of Tbilisi. Gori is one of Georgia’s largest towns and the closest major dwelling to the South Ossetian region.

The reported ground offensive comes just hours after Russian troops launched a major operation in North-East Abkhazia [Kodori Gorge] against Georgian forces, and bombed the city of Zugdidi, in Western Georgia.

As most of you have noticed, the tone of my posts has shifted dramatically as it became clear that Russia’s response to Tbilisi’s actions is more than a slap on the wrist, and is now developing into a full-scale aggression against Georgia, going outside the boundaries of international law and internationally accepted code of conduct. Now it has become clear that Russia aims not only to intimidate Tbilisi, not only to return to the status quo ante, but to orchestrate a full-scale invasion of Georgia, the only possible purpose of which is the toppling of a democratically-elected regime and the transformation of Georgia into Moscow’s puppet.

A BBC reporter, while trying to make his way toward Gori, noticed streams of refugees trying to make an escape from the town before the arrival of Russian troops. Gori is just one hour drive away from Tbilisi.

As this happens, the US and the EU have hardened their rhetoric, warning Russia of long-lasting negative effects in bilateral relations.

If reports of a Russian ground offensive are confirmed, this night may be a crucial one for Georgia. I will try to keep you updated as I get information.

[taken today, in tbilisi. photos and captions courtesy of Giorgi Lomsadze]

These women travelled 40 miles on feet to escape Russian army. As the villagers ran across the farmlands some were shot to death in their backs by the Russian troops. Survivals sleep on the streets of capital Tbilisi

City struggles to provide housing and accomodation for the refugees.

The woman in the midde ran for miles, two kids in her hands, through the fields. She left farm animals tied and defenseless. Russian jet raid obliterated her village

According to sources inside Georgia, the country’s infrastructure has been seriously damaged by the conflict. Communication is impeded by the fact that the mobile phone networks have had their antenna towers damaged or destroyed by bombardments.

Major roads in Georgia have reportedly been bombed and are damaged, including the highway linking Tbilisi to Gori, and Tbilisi to the International Airport.These unofficial reports come on top of news of Russian attacks on the cities of Poti [Black Sea port] and Gori.

1. ‘The Messenger’ [an English-language daily in Tbilisi] has a blog with almost-real-time updates on developments in Ossetia. Worth checking, especially since the editors are on the scene in Tbilisi.

2. Wu Wei aks herself ‘Who is picking the fights?‘