Smash hit

Georgia appealed to the international community to step in. Mikhail Saakashvili, the Georgian President, said that Russia “wants to replace the government in Tbilisi” and claimed Moscow wanted to seize control of energy routes in the region.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, is preparing to fly to Georgia and Russia tomorrow on a peace mission, following a round of shuttle diplomacy by his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, who is due to visit Gori today.

Nato's secretary general today criticised Russia over its "disproportionate" use of force. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was "seriously concerned" about Russia's response and its "lack of respect for the territorial integrity of Georgia," a spokesperson said.

The statement followed President Bush's comments in Beijing, where he was watching the Olympics. He said he had spoken "firmly" to the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, who was directing the Kremlin's actions in Georgia.

Vladimir Putin's mastery checkmates the West

Michael Binyon says Russia has been biding its time - but its victory in Georgia has been brutal and brilliant

Multimedia

• Video: stories from the front line

• Pictures: Georgia conflict

BACKGROUND

• Hellraising for the rich: how Osborne met Rothschild

• Oleg Deripaska - oligarch at centre of storm

Related Links

• Putin hits out at West's support of Georgia

• Attempt to seize control was a gamble too far

• Analysis: roots of the Georgia-Russia conflict

Multimedia

• Pictures: Georgia conflict

• Video: on the front line

• Pictures: Caucasus war

Georgia claims that more than 50 Russian bombers flew sorties overnight, although Russian military spokesmen dismissed the allegation as absurd. A bomb was dropped near the civilian airport in Tbilisi.

For its part, Russia accuses Georgia of keeping up a bombardment of South Ossetia. It says that three Russian peacekeepers stationed there had been killed, and four Russian planes had been downed.

If Russia does launch a ground invasion through Abkhazia, it would be a major escalation in the conflict, and one that Georgia would be hard-pressed to counter with most of its troops concentrated to the north around South Ossetia.

Georgia claims that its troops around the borders of Abkhazia were given an ultimatum this morning to lay down their weapons or face Russian troops moving into Georgian-controlled territory.

Most of the 50,000-strong population of Gori fled the city in panic last night amid reports of an aerial bombardment and rumours that the Russians were coming.

This morning there was calm on the streets, and even a little traffic. A few of those who ran with what possessions they could snatch up had returned to their homes, but United Nations refugee experts estimate that about 80 per cent have abandoned the city.

Shops remained shuttered and the mood was tense, with regular explosions echoing through the streets. Whether the firing was coming from Russian or Georgian lines was not immediately clear.

There was no obvious sign, however, that the city had been devastated by a massive air attack, or that Georgian forces had repulsed the Russians there last night - two of the claims that Mr Saakashvili has made this morning.

Russian military jets have, however, been carrying out new raids on Georgian territory, hitting targets around the Georgian capital Tbilisi and the Black Sea port of Poti.

Russian actions were today condemned as heavy-handed and disproportionate by the US, Nato, Britain and the EU.

"This has gone far too far,” said Jim Murphy, Britain's Europe Minister.

“There are disputes about some issues - territorial issues and authority issues in South Ossetia and separately in Abkhazia. But there is no excuse for Russia bombing targets outside of those areas, in and around Tbilisi, and also mobilising the Black Sea fleet to go off to the coast of Georgia.

“Russia have extended this in an entirely unacceptable way.”

He went on: “Russia seems to believe they can have a military victory, but in truth there cannot be a military solution to this.” Britain has advised its nationals to leave Georgia immediately.

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