Russia's top general has reportedly said Moscow is scaling back the size of its planned troop deployments in two breakaway Georgian provinces. After routing Georgian forces in a five-day war last August, Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent nations and announced plans to deploy 3,800 troops in each province. But state-run RIA-Novosti on Tuesday quoted Russian general staff chief Nikolai Makarov as saying there is no need for contingents that large, in part because the separatists have their own forces. Makarov spoke in an interview in France. He did not say how many troops Russia now plans to maintain in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russia has not disclosed how many it has deployed in the two provinces since the war. Georgia claims there are some 15,000, according to a report of The Associated Press.
