Russian jets have carried out strikes on military targets in the central Georgian town of Gori, close to the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Most of the targets seem to have been military bases, but Georgian officials said a number of civilians had died.
Russia said it had "liberated" South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, although Georgia said it remained in control.
Earlier, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his country was seeking "to force the Georgian side to peace".
The comments came after Russian commanders announced they were sending more troops into South Ossetia. They also confirmed two Russian jets had been shot down over Georgia, although they did not say where.
After days of exchanging heavy fire with the Russian-backed separatists, Georgian forces launched a surprise attack on Thursday night to regain control of the region, which has had de facto independence since the end of a civil war in 1992. BBC NEWS