Georgia accused Russian forces of entering the oil shipment port of Poti on the Black Sea on Tuesday and detaining 20 Georgian police officers.

"They entered the civilian port and kicked everyone out," said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili. "The Russians arrested the port security staff, twenty of them. They are police officers," he said.

A Reuters cameraman saw several men blindfolded and placed in Russian armoured personnel carriers (APCs), which then headed east to the town of Senaki.

The cameraman counted around 20 APCs. He could not confirm whether the detained men were police officers.

Russian forces have previously entered the military port at Poti. On Saturday, they carried off crates and equipment in trucks and helicopters from the port and nearby airport, witnesses said.

Russian forces continue to hold positions deep inside Georgia proper, dismantling military installations and arms dumps, having driven Georgian forces from breakaway South Ossetia.

Moscow had announced a withdrawal of its forces beginning on Monday, but Georgia says it sees no sign of a pullout.

Russia launched air strikes and rolled tanks and troops across its southern border into Georgia on Aug. 7 to repel a Georgian military offensive to retake the capital of pro-Moscow South Ossetia.