Belarus has blocked the transit of Russian oil through its territory to European countries including Germany and Poland, news reports said today, raising the stakes in a bitter energy dispute between Russia and the neighbouring former Soviet nation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced Georgia’s arrest of Russian officers as “state terrorism,” but ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from the neighbouring country to continue as planned.

THE commander of Russian military forces in Georgia yesterday said his troops had been put on high alert and ordered to use lethal force to defend their bases as tensions mount after the arrest of four Russian military officers accused of spying.

Russia has evacuated all but two staff members and guards from its embassy in Georgia and announced it was suspending planning for further troop withdrawals from its ex-Soviet neighbour.