Russian troops have pulled back from their positions outside Georgia’s breakaway province of South Ossetia but held their ground in contested areas, setting the stage for more tension between the two countries that waged war in August.

Russian forces pulled back from positions inside Georgia today watched by European Union monitors and relieved locals.

Russian troops have started dismantling positions in the so-called security zones inside Georgia that they have occupied since the war in August, Georgian and EU officials said.

EUROPEAN Union monitors, including four Irish personnel, began patrolling Georgian territory yesterday under a France- brokered peace deal, and Russian troops allowed some monitors into a buffer zone around South Ossetia, despite insisting earlier they would be blocked.