Russian troops arrive in North Ossetia after leaving Georgia

(31 Aug 2008)
Near Alagir, 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Russian-South Ossetian border
1. Wide shot of Russian Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) driving past locals lining the street
2. Women giving flowers to soldiers on APC
3. Woman giving flowers to soldier in miltary vehicle
4. Women waving flowers to soldiers
5. Wide pan of miltary convoy, local residents and parked cars on road UPSOUND: Music
6. Man presenting a cup of Ossetian beer to the regiment commander, commander drinking the beer
7. Dancers dressed in traditional Ossetian costumes performing Ossetian dance
8. Russian soldiers drinking beer from cup
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Andrei Kolotovkin, ?ommander of Russia's 503rd regiment of the 58th army:
"We have fulfilled the assignment, which was put before us by the Supreme Commander (President Dmitry Medvedev) with honour. This is what we are for, and we will always defend the interests of Russia."
10. APCs driving past, women throwing flower bouquets at them
11. Wide shot of people watching military vehicles drive past
12. Mid of woman and girl waving to the soldiers
13. Wide shot of military vehicles driving
STORYLINE:
A Russian regiment was given a hero's welcome upon its return to North Ossetia on Sunday.
About 300 locals lined a road near Aligir, a small town about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz, to greet the 503rd regiment of Russia's 58th Army.
It was one of the last Russian regiments to leave Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia, after a brief war with Georgia earlier this month.
The troops were presented with flowers and Ossetian beer.
"We have fulfilled the assignment, which was put before us by the Supreme Commander (President Dmitry Medvedev) with honour. This is what we are for, and we will always defend the interests of Russia," said regiment commander, Andrei Kolotovkin.
Fighting broke out August 7 when Georgian forces began heavy shelling of the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, hoping to retake control of the province.
Russian forces poured in, pushed the Georgians out in a matter of days and then drove deep into Georgia proper.
Under an EU-brokered cease-fire, both sides were supposed to return their forces to prewar positions, but Russia has interpreted one of the agreement's clauses as allowing it to set up 4-miles (6-kilometre) deep security zones, which are now marked by Russian checkpoints.
Georgia has severed diplomatic ties with Moscow to protest against the presence of Russian troops on its territory.
It claims, as does the West, that Russia is violating the European Union agreement.
Until the last years of the Soviet Union, Georgians and Ossetians had lived peacefully.
But as reforms weakened Moscow's grip, Ossetians and Georgians formed nationalist movements, each staking a claim to their shared homeland.
After Ossetia declared its independence, Georgian forces invaded, launching a full-scale war that ended in 1992 in a Kremlin-brokered deal that divided the region.
South Ossetia fell within Georgia's borders, but operated with wide autonomy.
North Ossetia came under Moscow's control.

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