Russian peacekeepers are finishing their humanitarian mission in the Georgian city of Gori and are handing the city over to Georgian police.

The Russian units were stationed in the city to neutralise thousands of heavy weapons, which were abandoned by retreating Georgians.

Local authorities had fled the city, leaving citizens without food.

The Russian military says it's been organising aid for them and maintaining order on the ground to prevent the city from looting.

Russian troops will stay in the region for two more days until the Georgian authorities are capable of taking over.

“From tomorrow officially the Georgian police will start working to carry out it’s own functions to bring the situation under control. I called Tbilisi and asked them to put official here [in Gori]. I as a commander of armed forces gave a command that the army Russian will not enter the city anymore, that people can go back to their normal life,” Vyacheslav Borisov, Major-General of Russian army, said.