Russian soldiers leave the Russian military headquarters building in Tbilisi Sept. 29, 2006. Russia started evacuating personnel from its embassy in the Georgian capital as Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili angrily denied that they were in any danger, during a row over the arrest of alleged Russian spies.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    MOSCOW, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- One of the five Russian servicemen, whom the Georgian authorities arrested on Wednesday, was released on Friday, Russian news agencies reported.

    Officials of the Russian Embassy in Georgia said that the Georgian side had brought Master Sergeant Ruslan Skrylnikov to the headquarters of the Group of Russian Troops in Transcaucasia and handed him over to Russian representatives.

    A Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed the release, saying, "Skrylnikov was questioned and released."

    Skrylnikov is reported to be a driver of the Russian military base in Batumi, who was held in custody in the Georgian capital over the past two days.

    Georgian security forces detained five Russian officers on Wednesday, which triggered strong protest from Moscow.

    The Georgian Interior Ministry announced that it had charged four other Russian officers with espionage.

    "The investigation has officially brought charges against them and the case materials have been taken to the Tbilisi City Court that today will consider the issue of their two-month preliminary detention," it said.

    Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said that the investigation "has numerous specific data on several years of illegal activities of the detained." Enditem

Georgian police officers surround Russian Army headquarters in Tbilisi, Geirgia, Friday, Sept. 29, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>