Russians advance into Georgia

Georgia called for international intervention yesterday and pulled its battered forces back to the capital, as Russian troops pushed deep into its territory, ignoring Western pleas to halt.

"The Georgian army is retreating to defend the capital. The government is urgently seeking international intervention to prevent the fall of Georgia," a Georgian statement said.

President Mikheil Saakashvili said Russian forces had taken control of Georgia's main east-west route, effectively bisecting the country. He urged Georgians to stay home and not panic.

US President George W. Bush told Russia to end its military action in Georgia, calling Moscow's push into the smaller country an unacceptable invasion of a sovereign state.

"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," Mr Bush said.

"There is evidence that Russian forces may soon begin bombing the civilian airport in the capital city."

"If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would represent a dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia," he told reporters at the White House after returning from China.

Moscow snubbed a plea from the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers for a ceasefire. It said Georgia had not kept a promise to halt fighting and was shelling the Russian-held region of South Ossetia where the conflict began last Thursday.

The fighting has unsettled oil markets because Georgia hosts a key pipeline supplying the West. It has alarmed investors in Russia and has raised fears of a wider conflagration in the volatile region bordering Iran, Turkey and Russia. A feeling of uneasiness pervaded Tbilisi as for the first time in four nights, city streets were largely empty, with no evening demonstration by the President's supporters. "We are working with an international community, but all we got so far are just words, statements, moral support, humanitarian aid," Mr Saakashvili said in a televised address. "But we need more - we want them to stop this barbaric aggressor."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was expected in Moscow and possibly Georgia today for talks on behalf of the European Union, though it was unclear what could be achieved.

Five liberal leaders from central and eastern Europe - Poland, Ukraine and the three Baltic states - planned to visit Tbilisi in a show or support for Mr Saakashvili. An emergency session of Parliament was called for today.

"The situation in Georgia is extremely difficult as Russia is using all its resources to occupy the country," Mr Saakashvili said, referring to what he said was the capture of a major road.

Georgia's Prime Minister, Lado Gurgenidze, told television viewers Russian troops had entered Poti, an oil and dry cargo shipping centre on the Black Sea coast. They were also in two other towns in western Georgia - Senaki and Zugdidi.

Russia's Defence Ministry denied its forces were in Poti. Officials earlier said Russian troops had advanced 40 km from a second separatist enclave, Abkhazia, to capture Senaki, but the ministry later said they had left the town.

Russian officials have said they have no intention of occupying territory beyond the two separatist areas. A Reuters witness saw Georgian helicopter gunships bombing targets near the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, sending dark smoke billowing into the air.

A second reporter heard heavy artillery bombardments on the road north of the wrecked town.