Georgia accuses Russia of illegal 'borderization' with South Ossetia
Georgian Foreign Ministry reported citing Georgian State Security Service that the Russian military began to install fences to mark the border in the area of the village of Atotsi (Karelian region), on the line that separates the Tskhinvali region, reports Novosti-Georgia.
Georgian Foreign Ministry called these actions "deliberate provocation" aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country, and "illegal borderization."
Georgia called on Russia to "immediately stop destructive actions." The country's authorities said they had activated a "helpline" and handed over information to the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow in August 2008 after Russia recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - the two autonomous regions that were part of Georgia and sought independence from it even before the collapse of the USSR. The European Union also does not recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, declaring support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
The legal status of South Ossetia as an independent republic was recognized by only five states - Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Tuvalu.
In March 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of the unrecognized South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov, signed an agreement on cooperation and integration. In March 2017, the Russian government approved an agreement on the inclusion of the military of South Ossetia in the Russian army.