news.bbc.co.uk
Russia says it is sending extra troops to the Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia after another night of fierce fighting with Georgian forces.
President Dmitry Medvedev said his country had begun an operation "to force the Georgian side to peace".
Russian media say fighting continued around the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali during the night, although not at the same intensity as on Friday.
Earlier, Georgia said Russian warplanes had bombed the Black Sea city of Poti.
The Georgian foreign ministry told the AFP news agency that the port, which is the site of a major oil shipment facility, had been "devastated".
The BBC's James Rogers in Moscow says diplomatic initiatives have so far proved fruitless.
On Friday evening, the UN Security Council failed to agree on the wording of a statement calling for a ceasefire.
Russia holds a permanent place on the Council, and has the power of veto over any official statements that it regards as unfair or inaccurate.
President Dmitry Medvedev said his country had begun an operation "to force the Georgian side to peace".
Russian media say fighting continued around the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali during the night, although not at the same intensity as on Friday.
Earlier, Georgia said Russian warplanes had bombed the Black Sea city of Poti.
The Georgian foreign ministry told the AFP news agency that the port, which is the site of a major oil shipment facility, had been "devastated".
The BBC's James Rogers in Moscow says diplomatic initiatives have so far proved fruitless.
On Friday evening, the UN Security Council failed to agree on the wording of a statement calling for a ceasefire.
Russia holds a permanent place on the Council, and has the power of veto over any official statements that it regards as unfair or inaccurate.
Permanent members Britain, the US and France, are pinpointing what they say is Russia's aggression as the key factor in the slide towards war, while Moscow insists Georgia is to blame.
After days of exchanging heavy fire with the Russian-backed separatists, Georgian forces moved on Thursday night to regain control of the region, which has had de facto independence since a war against Georgia that ended in 1992.
In response, Moscow sent armoured units across the border. Russia says 15 of its soldiers are dead, and separatists estimate that 1,400 civilians have died.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said 30 Georgians had been killed in two days of fighting.
'Protecting the population'
After days of exchanging heavy fire with the Russian-backed separatists, Georgian forces moved on Thursday night to regain control of the region, which has had de facto independence since a war against Georgia that ended in 1992.
In response, Moscow sent armoured units across the border. Russia says 15 of its soldiers are dead, and separatists estimate that 1,400 civilians have died.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said 30 Georgians had been killed in two days of fighting.
'Protecting the population'
At a meeting on Saturday morning in the Kremlin with Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov and the head of the Russian Armed Forces, President Medvedev said Russia's military aim was to force the Georgians to stop fighting.
"Our peacekeepers and the units attached to them are currently carrying out an operation to force the Georgian side to [agree to] peace," he said.
"They also bear the responsibility for protecting the population."
At the same time, a spokesman for Russian ground forces said reinforcements were being sent to South Ossetia to support peacekeepers already deployed there.
Earlier, the South Ossetian government said Georgian forces launched the latest in a series of artillery attacks on Tskhinvali early on Saturday.
Russian forces said they had fought back, and fierce clashes were reported by Russian news agencies overnight.
Georgia meanwhile said that Russia had launched air strikes on targets inside its territory, in what it described as "a full-scale military invasion".
An interior ministry spokesman said one of the attacks took place near the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which supplies Caspian oil to the West.
The authorities also told the BBC they were expecting a Russian attack on the capital, Tbilisi, and that some government offices in the city had been evacuated as a precaution.
Georgian President Saakashvili said Russia was at war with his country.
"They also bear the responsibility for protecting the population."
At the same time, a spokesman for Russian ground forces said reinforcements were being sent to South Ossetia to support peacekeepers already deployed there.
Earlier, the South Ossetian government said Georgian forces launched the latest in a series of artillery attacks on Tskhinvali early on Saturday.
Russian forces said they had fought back, and fierce clashes were reported by Russian news agencies overnight.
Georgia meanwhile said that Russia had launched air strikes on targets inside its territory, in what it described as "a full-scale military invasion".
An interior ministry spokesman said one of the attacks took place near the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which supplies Caspian oil to the West.
The authorities also told the BBC they were expecting a Russian attack on the capital, Tbilisi, and that some government offices in the city had been evacuated as a precaution.
Georgian President Saakashvili said Russia was at war with his country.
'Ethnic cleansing'
On Friday, the Russian government said it had to act to defend South Ossetia's civilians, most of whom have been given Russian citizenship.
It also voiced anger over the reported fatalities of Russian servicemen in the breakaway province, vowing not to allow their deaths to go unpunished.
Tskhinvali, where inhabitants are said to be sheltering in basements without electricity or phone lines, is reported to be devastated.
International Red Cross spokeswoman Anna Nelson said it had received reports that hospitals in Tskhinvali were "overflowing" with casualties.
In other developments:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia and respect its territorial integrity
Georgia's president said his country was withdrawing half its contingent of 2,000 troops from Iraq to help deal with the crisis
Russia said it would cut all air links with Georgia from midnight on Friday
The European security organisation, the OSCE, warned that the fighting in South Ossetia could escalate into a full-scale war
The US and the EU were reported to be sending a joint delegation to the region to seek a ceasefire and Nato said it was seriously concerned.
Tskhinvali, where inhabitants are said to be sheltering in basements without electricity or phone lines, is reported to be devastated.
International Red Cross spokeswoman Anna Nelson said it had received reports that hospitals in Tskhinvali were "overflowing" with casualties.
In other developments:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Russia to pull its troops out of Georgia and respect its territorial integrity
Georgia's president said his country was withdrawing half its contingent of 2,000 troops from Iraq to help deal with the crisis
Russia said it would cut all air links with Georgia from midnight on Friday
The European security organisation, the OSCE, warned that the fighting in South Ossetia could escalate into a full-scale war
The US and the EU were reported to be sending a joint delegation to the region to seek a ceasefire and Nato said it was seriously concerned.
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