EU Monitors Deny Georgia Troops Build-Up

EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) said on February 11, that it carried out inspection and found no evidence of the Georgian troops build-up in the areas adjacent to breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

EUMM said in a statement that the inspection “of all key Georgian military establishments in the vicinity of both the South Ossetian and Abkhazian boundary lines” was carried after the accusations had been voiced on the matter.

“Following careful evaluation of the evidence available, the EUMM has concluded that there was no failure to comply with the EUMM’s recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Georgian Ministry of Defence; and no build up of Georgian Armed Forces. All military personnel were carrying out their regular duties,” EUMM said.

It also said that the mission was ready to also inspect debris of rocket-propelled grenade reportedly found in Tskhinvali, if the de facto authorities allowed them access to the region.

The breakaway region’s authorities have claimed that two grenades were fired from the direction of the Georgian village of Nikozi towards the residential area of Tskhinvali on February 10. According to this report two unexploded ordnance left over from a rocket-propelled grenade were found on the Jioev Square of the town.

Meanwhile, the Georgian Interior Ministry said on February 11, that the Russian forces deployed 50-strong unit and one armoured personnel carrier on the Georgian side of the breakaway South Ossetia’s administrative border at the village of Kvemo Nikozi.

The Ministry has claimed that the Russian troops were deployed at the village, which is in the immediate vicinity of the administrative border, close to Tskhinvali, at 12:30 pm on February 11 and started to build fortifications there. It also said that the Georgian police post in the village “has been blocked” as a result of the Russian forces move. Later on February 11, the Georgian media sources reported that the Russian unit moved back from the area.

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