TBILISI, Georgia, July 16 (UPI) -- The EU has warned of increased tensions on the border of Russia and Georgia, with reports indicating that the Kremlin has redrawn a section of Georgia's de facto border with Ossetia.
Russia has been accused by Georgian officials of installing signs marking "state border" in the breakaway region of South Ossetia inside Georgian territory, BBC News reported. The move has left a small portion of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline under Russia's effective control.
Russian troops have patrolled the administrative border since the 2008 Russia-Georgia war over South Ossetia, and the installation of new signposts "had led to tension in the area, with potentially negative effects on the local population, their livelihood and freedom of movement," said an EU foreign policy representative.
The office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that "steps perceived as provocative must be avoided. The EU reaffirms its full support of Georgia's territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders."
Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchasvili added the border move as part of a continuation of "creeping Russian annexation."
In August 2008, Georgia and Russia engaged in military conflict as Russian troops fought to separate the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia proper.
In April 2009, Russia strengthened its position in South Ossetia by signing a five-year agreement to patrol its borders with Russian troops.
