Hansjorg Haber, the head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), said the mission was “pleasantly surprised” by the lack of serious incidents and said allegations made by the authorities in Tskhinvali about attacks were “overblown.”

“In general, the observation is that such reports are overblown,” western news agencies quoted the German diplomat as saying at a news conference in Brussels on October 24. “There may have been isolated shootings, but no major incidents have been registered.”

Russia, as well as the authorities in breakaway South Ossetia, accused the EU monitors of ignoring violations of the ceasefire terms by the Georgian side. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said Georgia was deploying special purpose units in the areas adjacent to South Ossetia, which, he said, was a violation.

Haber said lightly armed units – the Interior Ministry’s special purpose units - were in the area, but he added their presence was "commensurate and adequate" for policing the region.

"We don't get any details from the Russians. We just get general allegations," he said.

Haber also said that EU monitors should have access to South Ossetia and Abkhazia in order to verify their allegations that the Georgian side was firing on them.

"We ask, we knock at the door and we think that the Abkhaz and South Ossetian de facto authorities may have their own interest in admitting us if they want alleged shootings from the Georgian side to be investigated and reported on," the German diplomat said.

When asked how daily communication with the Russian forces proceeded, Haber responded: “We literally don't have any telephone number on their side so far. We have been asking for it and I will ask for it again.”

He also said that the mission was communicating with the Russian side via the Swiss embassy in Tbilisi. Russia asked the Swiss embassy in Tbilisi to represent its diplomatic interests in Georgia after Russia and Georgia cut off diplomatic ties.

Haber also said at the news conference that about 4,400 people had fled the Akhalgori region – an area administratively inside the former South Ossetian autonomous region, but which was under Tbilisi’s control before the August war.
 
He said, according to EUobserver.com, that those staying in South Ossetia are required, according to reports, to take Russian passports.

“If Russia recognizes South Ossetia, then it also has an obligation that certain standards be observed. Forcing refugees to accept different passports just to be able to return to their homes is certainly not one of these standards,” Haber said.