The Russian forces removed a roadblock at Igoeti, the village at the halfway between the town of Gori and Tbilisi, and started to withdraw from the area, the Georgian media sources reported.

Earlier on August 22, Governor of Shida Kartli region, Lado Vardzelashvili, told journalists that the Russian military command on the ground had assured the Georgian officials that the Russian forces would remove all the checkpoints and roadblocks from the major east-west highway by 8pm local time on August 22.