Georgian television reported on August 7 that women and children were being evacuated from Georgian villages close to the breakaway South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali.

Meanwhile, reports from both sides say that heavy fighting is ongoing in areas close to the Georgian village of Avnevi and the Ossetian village of Khetagurov in the Znauri district, south-west of Tskhinvali. 

“We can hear blasts and gunfire for three hours,” a reporter of the Georgian Public Broadcaster said, while speaking from a Georgian village close to the breakaway region’s border, in the 6pm news bulletin.