Russian forces dug trenches and built long-term fortifications in some key areas of Georgia on Thursday, yet rolled columns of tanks north toward home elsewhere, picking and choosing with military precision exactly how their nation would comply with the terms of an EU-brokered peace accord.

Although Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had promised that his forces would pull back from Georgia by Friday, Russian troops appeared to be in no hurry, raising concerns about whether Moscow is aiming for a lengthy occupation of its neighbour.

Russian forces took up positions on Thursday at the entrance to Georgia’s main Black Sea port city of Poti, excavating trenches, setting up mortars and blocking a key bridge with armored personnel carriers and trucks. Another group of APCs and trucks were positioned in a nearby wooded area.