"If we're talking about the presence of Georgian armed units near South Ossetia, it has doubled since the spring," Dmitry Medoyev told journalists, adding that there were 30 Georgians for every South Ossetian there.
The situation in the conflict zone recently deteriorated over damaged water pipelines leading to South Ossetia, and Georgia's construction of a road in the area without consulting local authorities. Russian peacekeepers stopped the construction and urged consultations between the two sides.
Medoyev said Georgia has heavy artillery and aviation, while South Ossetia could only oppose it with air defense systems. He said the republic's doctrine is "a tough defense policy."
South Ossetia asked Georgian authorities to help repair the water pipelines in early June. Tbilisi, which is seeking to regain control over the republic, directed South Ossetia to the new pro-Tbilisi authorities in the republic. The South Ossetian government is refusing to recognize the new "leadership".
South Ossetian villagers have started protests demanding that water supplies be resumed to 70 villages where 44,000 hectares of farmland are still without water. The protesters said they risk being left without bread.
South Ossetia, which declared its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has been a sensitive issue in bilateral relations between Georgia and Russia. Georgian authorities have accused Russia of encouraging separatist sentiments.
The information and press committee of South Ossetia said with reference to the Interior Ministry that the republic's capital, Tskhinvali, came under gunfire from Georgia last night.
In late June, the committee reported the Georgian side had opened fire from mortars and small arms on a residential area in the north of Tskhinvali.
