On Aug. 12, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered an end to Russia's military campaign in Georgia, citing completion of the operation's objectives. However, international observers have not yet confirmed an actual halt to Russian military operations. The Russian order followed an aerial bombardment of the central Georgian town of Gori, about 40 mileswest of Tbilisi, which caused extensive damage to the city center and a number of casualties. Georgian officials also claimed Russian planes bombed the strategic Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, but there were no reports of damage. Officials also said that explosions heard midday Aug. 12 in Tbilisi were the result of controlled detonations of dropped Russian bombs by the Georgian Ministry of Defense. Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is operational, though many international flights may be canceled without warning. Travelers are advised to carry identification at all and defer travel outside of Tbilisi until the situation stabilizes. Georgian authorities have reportedly evacuated Tbilisi's Avlabari region and the Georgian city of Gori is largely evacuated. Russia has severed air, maritime, and postal links with Georgia. The foreign diplomatic community continues to conduct evacuations out of Tbilisi overland to Yerevan, Armenia. Most evacuations are not mandatory. A group of Russian warships has taken position off the Georgian coast to prevent arms shipments to Georgia. The Russian Navy claims to have sunk a Georgian missile boat. Some estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people were killed in the fighting; the tally is likely to rise. Many thousands more were displaced by the fighting. Casualty counts vary widely. The situation is fluid and details are difficult to confirm. The fighting has devastated the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali and many other villages in South Ossetia. Many areas are without power, water or natural gas service. Cell phone and Internet service has been disrupted in many areas as well. Preliminary reports indicate that three of four major oil and natural gas pipelines are shut down as a precaution. The BTC oil pipeline was shut down before the conflict due to damage it incurred in Turkey Aug. 5. Carry identification at all times and remain in contact with your diplomatic mission. Stock up on food, water, fuel and other supplies. Tbilisi remains largely secure, though military installations near the airport could be targeted if the conflict continues. Defer travel outside of Tbilisi until the situation stabilizes. Confirm all flights. Expect transport and shipping disruptions and increased security measures nationwide. Our Corporate Travel Specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need immediate assistance and your company has a designated Egencia Corporate Travel phone number, please call that number directly. If you do not have a designated number, in the U.S. please call us at 1-866-EXP-CORP (1-866-397-2677) or 1-702-939-2530. When traveling outside the U.S., please refer to the following, use the following local international customer service numbers. You can also reach us via e-mail by using our "support and feedback" form. Help and guidance resources are readily available in our Egencia Travel Support Center.

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