EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) said on October 26 it was concerned with the arrest of sixteen Georgian citizens by Russian border guards in the vicinity of the South Ossetian administrative border.

Sixteen men, who are from the village of Gremiskhevi, were detained while cutting firewood for, as Tskhinvali side said, “violation the South Ossetian border.”

“The arrest of the 16 residents of Gremiskhevi seriously affects the daily life of this village,” EUMM said. “The incident reflects the wider problem of activities along the ABL [administrative boundary line] which are likely to increase due preparations for the winter season.”

It also said that incident prevention and response mechanism “is the appropriate forum to discuss the matter in order to reach a sustainable solution.”

According to EUMM a meeting on site between Georgian officials and representatives of the breakaway region, in presence of EU observers, was scheduled, but it did not take place on October 26.