Russian troops have been stationed in Georgian territories since the end of a five-day conflict which Georgia triggered after Tbilisi launched an attack on South Ossetia to try and regain control over the region in August.
"The withdrawal of peacekeepers from six checkpoints located in the southern border of the security zone has started," said Col. Igor Konashenkov, an aide to Russia's Ground Forces commander.
A Russian Defense Ministry source said on Tuesday that during talks with EU representatives, Murat Kulakhmetov, the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, had requested the presence of two EU representatives at each outpost during the withdrawal.
Under an EU-brokered peace deal, Russia agreed to pull its peacekeepers out of undisputed parts of Georgia by October 10, leaving troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow recognized as independent states on August 26.
