Russia, Georgia in heat of conflict

Georgia says dozens of Russian bombers have attacked its territory despite a ceasefire offer.

There's little sign of a ceasefire here.

A day after Georgia told Russia it would end fighting, enter peace talks and pull its troops out of South Ossetia, it appears both sides are still on the offensive.

This was a Georgian radar station outside the capital Tbilisi.

SOUNDBITE: Alexander Zikov, head of the locator set, saying (Russian):

"The radar set controlled planes during taking off and landing. It controlled the military crafts as well and that is why it was targeted."

Georgia says it was hit during dozens of Russian air raids into its territory.

But it appears Georgia is still attacking too.

Georgian troops pulled of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvail on Sunday.

But Moscow accuses Georgian forces of firing Katyusha rockets into the city, killing three of its peacekeepers.

France has the current European Union presidency, and its foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has travelled to Georgia to try and bring peace.

SOUNDBITE: FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD KOUCHNER SAYING (English):

"We hope for the suffering of the population that it will end as soon as possible. For the Georgian population, on both sides for the refugees of course, and the suffering people. We want humanitarian access to them and it means a ceasefire as soon as possible."

He'll also travel to Moscow, and ask the Russians to halt hostilities.

But there appears little chance of that happening.

Moscow appears intent on driving home its overwhelming military advantage and wants nothing less than a complete Georgian withdrawal from South Ossetia.

A second front has opened in Georgia's other breakaway region Abkhazia.

Russian forces, like these paratroopers, are pouring in, backed up by helicopters and heavy weapons.

They're fighting over the Kodori Gorge, a strategic foothold in the Black Sea area.

Russian troops in Abkhazia have given an ultimatum to Georgian forces, telling them to disarm of face attack.

The Georgians rejected this.

Georgian troops numbers have been bolstered by the first arrival of the country's troops from Iraq.

A thousand were recalled when fighting began on Friday.

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is a man under intense pressure, with some in his country already questioning the judgement of his military push into South Ossetia, after the response it's drawn from Moscow.

He says Russia is trying to topple him from power, and that 90 percent of casualties in the conflict are civilians.

The United Nations Security Council has met for the fourth time to discuss the crisis, but without producing a firm resolution.

U.S. president George Bush has denounced what he says is Russia's "disproportionate response" to the crisis.

Andrew Potter, Reuters