Russian troops go home amid NATO flap

MOSCOW, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Russia sent its troops home from Georgia Friday after temporarily breaking an accord with NATO, a military spokesman said.

Russian Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn told reporters in Moscow that Russia was in its final phase of withdrawal "in full compliance with international agreements."

He confirmed that Russia's military had suspended cooperation with NATO because of the rift over its actions in Georgia, CNN reported, but he said "It is only a response. It is not the Russian side that provoked it."

He questioned why NATO ships had sailed into the Black Sea in recent days. He said German and Spanish ships were now there.

Nogovitsyn accused the Georgian government of violating the cease-fire deal, including two special operations he said were conducted into the breakaway province of South Ossetia on Monday.

The U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle told the Russian business daily Kommersant Georgia had been urged not to launch an attack but that Russia responded in a "legitimate" way. He said, however, Russia went too far in its military incursion, the reports said.