With its troops showing no sign of obeying a ceasefire deal to pull out, a senior general announced that a series of checkpoints manned by hundreds of soldiers will be built in the so-called "security zone" around the province's border.

The Russian region was the flashpoint of fighting this month that brought Russian troops deep into Georgia. A ceasefire that calls for both sides to pull back to their positions before the brief war allows Russia to maintain troops in a zone extending more than four miles into Georgia from South Ossetian line.

General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the Russian general staff, said Russia will build a double line of 18 checkpoints in the zone, with the posts in the front line to be manned by about 270 soldiers.

Russia clearly aims to solidify control of South Ossetia which still technically remains a part of Georgia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said his troops will complete its withdrawal from Georgia by Friday, but few signs of movement have been seen other than the departure of a small portion of the troops who have held the strategically key city of Gori.

The Russian forces appear to be aiming to weaken Georgia's military through the detention of personnel and destruction of equipment before they withdraw as promised.

General Nogovistsyn said 64 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting and 323 were wounded.

Georgia said it lost 160 soldiers and that 300 were missing.

Civilian casualties remain unclear. South Ossetian officials said 1,492 had been killed.