Normal ... But Not Normal
August 25, 2008
10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT)
The Russians are still here, but no longer moving around the town as they were at the height of the conflict. Russian forces have retained their checkpoints at Nabada and at a place called the Seventh Kilometer -- both on the outskirts of Poti. Things have normalized to an extent -- but people are still very stressed out.
Both Russian checkpoints are located east of the Poti downtown, in the direction of Tbilisi. They still have a lot of heavy armor -- APCs and the like -- and have been digging trenches for approximately six days already. They are controlling the highway, as well as the railway, monitoring everything going in or out of the town.
However, unlike a few days ago -- when they would stop cars and ask for papers -- the Russians are no longer checking local residents' documents. In Poti, local police continue to operate as usual -- their cars are patrolling the streets -- and they have virtually no contact with the Russians. For employees of the main port, it's business as usual; the port is functioning. As for the military port -- its infrastructure has been severely damaged, and the authorities say its restoration will take a lot of time and a lot of money.