GORI, Georgia: Convoys of Russian tanks and trucks withdrew northwards into rebel-held parts of Georgia, and Moscow said it was on course to complete its partial pullback by a self-imposed Friday night deadline.
But there was no sign of Russian forces returning to Russia from South Ossetia, the breakaway Georgian province at the heart of the conflict, highlighting the fears of Tbilisi and the West that Moscow plans to keep a big military presence there.
Earlier, the top U. S. General in Europe John Craddock, on a visit to Tbilisi, described the Russian pullout, after fighting that has killed hundreds and made refugees of tens of thousands, as "far too little, far too slow".
A Reuters correspondent saw a convoy of dozens of Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and trucks heading north from central Georgia towards South Ossetia.
"It's a long convoy. There must be more than 40 (vehicles)," the correspondent said.
A Reuters photographer in western Georgia also reported seeing a column including more than 20 tanks crossing into Abkhazia, another Moscow-backed rebel province on the Black Sea .
Russia and Georgia went to war after Tbilisi tried to retake South Ossetia on Aug. 7-8,provoking an overwhelming counter-attack from Moscow.
Moscow insisted on Friday its withdrawal was proceeding on schedule but the German government said as of Friday morning "it was not clear that one could say with any certainty that a substantial withdrawal was taking place".
