A full-scale evacuation of the Georgian city of Gori has started as fears rose that Russia would soon advance its troops across the border from the b

Any such incursion would be a dangerous escalation of a conflict that has already reportedly claimed thousands of lives and displaced thousands more. Russia, which said it moved into South Ossetia last week to protect pro-Russians there from "genocide" commited by Georgians, has now been accused of "ethnic cleansing" itself. Russia regained total control of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, and Georgia offered a unilateral ceasefire as it withdrew all its troops.

International opinion hardened against Russia, which has been roundly accused of a "disproportionate reaction" to Georgia's move into South Ossetia last week. Jim Jeffrey, the US's deputy National Security Advisor, told reporters: "We have made it clear to the Russians that if the disproportionate and dangerous escalation on the Russian side continues, that this will have a significant long-term impact on US-Russian relations."

But American diplomats conceded that the US had few options and ruled out military intervention on behalf of Georgia. "We have no good options," a US National Security Council official told The Daily Telegraph. "We need Russia's co-operation over Iran and derailing that over a localised conflict in Georgia makes no sense. We just have to hope that diplomacy prevails. The next necessary step is for Russia to respond positively to Georgia's ceasefire declaration."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Mikheil Saakashvili, the president of Georgia, "must go". Mr Lavrov said Russia would continue its military action in South Ossetia due to the "continuing direct threat to Russian citizens".

The few Georgians left in South Ossetia were fleeing from the Russian advance. In spite of the evacuation of Gori, the town near the separatist republic which is Stalin's birthplace, it seemed last night as if Russian troops were for now sticking to their side of the border. However small arms fire was heard deep inside Georgian territory, suggesting Russian special forces had made a preliminary advance.

But the conflict was meanwhile increasing in scope. Russian aircraft have already bombed a number of targets inside Georgia including a strike, said the Georgians, on the civilian airport of Tbilisi, the capital. Abkhazia, a larger breakaway Georgian republic, is now a second front in the battle. Russian troops were reported to be advancing on the Kodori Gorge, a foothold of ethnic Georgians in the region. Top officials in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, appeared resigned to Russia establishing full control over both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "We won't win a military confrontation," Georgian Vice-Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze said. "Any face to face confrontation has been in Russia's interest. We don't want to do that any more."

Russia's navy was also involved, deploying a flotilla off Georgia's Black Sea coast. The navy said the ships later put into a Russian Black Sea port, though there were reports that a Georgian boat carrying missile launchers had been sunk.

Georgia's President Saakashvili called on the world to "speak with a united voice, and the united voice should [say that] Georgia's territorial integrity should be safeguarded". There was a huge rally last night in Tbilisi, the capital of the country, in a demonstration of support. "We just want to rally our president," said one Georgian. "Somehow this has brought us together."

The US was last night drafting a UN Security Council resolution condemning the "military assault" by Russia. Ms Rice is planning to send an envoy to mediation talks brokered by the European Union and the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe. The OSCE is responsible for monitoring the 16-year ceasefire that had prevailed in South Ossetia since the republic became a semi-autonomous region within Georgia.

The French President Nicolas Sarkozy voiced the hope that there could be a quick end to the conflict following the retreat of Georgian troops. Downing Street urged Russia and Georgia to agree to an "immediate" ceasefire.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin cut short his visit to the Olympics and flew on Saturday to a field hospital in North Ossetia, part of Russia on the other side of the border of South Ossetia. Mr Putin denounced what he termed Georgia's "crimes against its own people". US President George W Bush was still in Beijing yesterday watching the Olympics.


[link to www.telegraph.co.uk]