Now please feel free to correct me if I am wrong here but it was the Russians who sent troops into South Ossetia to protect what it views as it's citizens from attack from Georgian Government troops. Georgian troops having retreated and withdrawn completely from South Ossetia were then pursued into Georgia "proper" where the Russians claimed to be "demilitarising" areas from which any future attack may occur. After which they will hand over control of those areas to Georgian authority.

Now all that is understandable, but can anybody explain why Russian Forces undertaking these operations within Georgia feel the need to be accompanied by South Ossetian "Militias"??