The checkpoint, near the town of Gori, a gateway to the separatist region, is the first taken down by the Russians under a withdrawal pledge.

Russia has agreed to pull out troops from two buffer zones within Georgia by 10 October, under EU observation.

Russia and Georgia fought a 10-day conflict over South Ossetia in August.


Russia has kept troops in South Ossetia - and Georgia's other breakaway region, Abkhazia - since ousting Georgian forces during the conflict.

Some 200 EU observers from 22 nations are now on the ground overseeing the military's compliance, or otherwise, with pledges made by leaders at the Kremlin.

They reported the first signs of progress on Sunday morning.

"Our observers went to the checkpoint in Ali, north-west of Gori, and saw that it has been dismantled," and EU spokesman told the AFP news agency.

"This is the first dismantled checkpoint."

A regional police chief told Reuters the checkpoint was in the village of Nabakhtevi.

Tensions

The Russian pull-back was agreed in the ceasefire deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

But Russia plans to keep nearly 8,000 troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it has recognised as independent states.

Western leaders have condemned both the buffer zones and Russia's recognition of the two regions.

The EU wants its observers to have access to the breakaway regions, but Russia has repeatedly refused to guarantee that.

The fighting in the region began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes.

Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia days later.

BBC