Russian forces pull out of the Georgian city of Senaki after eliminating the possibility of attacks on South Ossetia from the city.

Our military forces withdrew from Senaki after forcing a Georgian unit from the city and destroying their firepower to hit South Osetia, an unnamed Russian defense ministry official told RIA Novosti.

Earlier on Monday the ministry said the Russian servicemen had conducted preemptive strikes in the city's outskirts to prevent the Georgian forces from mustering for attacks against the region.

Elsweher, the Georgian interior ministry claimed that the Russian military had made an inroad into Georgian towns of n Gori, Zugdidi and Kurga; something the Russian defense ministry is in denial about.

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said his country had been effectively cut in
half with the capture of the main east-west highway near the central city of Gori.

On Thursday evening, Georgian military forces launched a large-scale military offensive against the break away region of South Ossetia hours before the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

On Friday, following Georgia's military operation in the region which reportedly killed tens of South Ossetian civilians and Russian peacekeepers, the Russian soldiers moved to the conflict zone in an attempt to live up to Moscow's earlier promise that it would take whatever measure necessary to protect its citizens there.

Eighty percent of the South Ossetian public has Russian citizenship.

HN/DT