President Dmitry Medvedev has described Georgia's actions in the conflict zone as genocide. He has ordered Russian prosecutors to collect evidence of the crimes committed there.

"Georgia has exposed South Ossetia to a very crude and cynical aggression. People have died. Russian citizens have died, including local residents and peacekeepers. The actions of the Georgian side cannot be described as anything else but genocide.

“The information we have received suggests that horrible crimes were committed there. People were killed, burnt, run down by tanks, had their throats were cut,” Medvedev said.

The President went on to say that “the operation to restore peace will continue and those guilty will be punished”.

Earlier, after visiting a refugee camp in North Ossetia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also accused Georgia of genocide and said those responsible for war crimes should be prosecuted.