Sergey Lavrov, the Russia’s foreign minister, said Georgia was not fulfilling its ceasefire commitments and criticized EU monitoring mission for, as he put it, not paying due attention to this matter.  

“The Georgian side periodically sends special purpose units and other armed formations to the areas adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” Lavrov said on October 23. “We are concerned about the fact that the EU monitors pay little attention to these aspects. We should not forget that the European Union acts as a guarantor of non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”

“Such a light attitude [by EU monitors] towards what is happening in these zones around South Ossetia and Abkhazia makes us be watchful - this is a dangerous play with fire,” he added.

Lavrov also said that there should be “strictly defined” demilitarized zones around Abkhazia and South Ossetia, otherwise he warned that the Georgian side’s activities in the areas adjacent to South Ossetia might lead to lead “to dangerous clashes.”