Defiant Russia still entrenched in Georgia

TBILISI (AFP) - Russian forces were on Saturday still deployed deep inside Georgia, keeping their grip on a strategic port city, as Moscow brushed aside Western accusations it was failing to abide by a ceasefire deal.

Russia withdrew tanks, artillery and hundreds of troops from the heart of Georgia on Friday, saying it had now fufilled all obligations under a French-brokered agreement aimed at ending the two-week-old conflict.

But Russian troops were still controlling access to the western port of Poti and also established a checkpoint just 10 kilometres north of the key city of Gori, AFP correspondents said.

Britain, France and the United States have urged further withdrawals but a top Russian general rejected the Western criticism.