Russian military said they were removing military hardware and ammunition from an arms depot outside the Georgian town of Gori.

“In the vicinity of Gori, a big military depot was discovered containing Georgian military hardware,” a spokesman for Russia's peacekeeping forces in the breakaway South Ossetia told Reuters by telephone.

“The depot was unguarded and the military hardware there was battle-ready. In the interests of demilitarizing the conflict zone and ensuring the safety of the population, the military hardware and ammunition are now being removed,” he added.