Russian troops accused of 'redrawing' border with Georgia

Georgian protesters hold Georgian flags and poster 

reading "No Occupation" near Georgia's de-facto 

border with its breakaway region of South Ossetia in the 

village of Khurvaleti, Georgia, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. 

(AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

   Tensions mount in South Ossetia 

   (Ukraine Today) --- European leaders are sounding the alarm about reports that Russia is redrawing a section of Georgia's de facto border with South Ossetia, BBC reports.

   Georgia says Russian troops installed signs marking the "state border" of the breakaway region of South Ossetia further inside Georgian territory.

   The move has left a small portion of oil pipeline under Russia's effective control. Russian government officials have brushed off the accusations.

   Russian troops have been patrolling the administrative border since the 2008 Russian-Georgian war over South Ossetia.

   According to the Stars and Stripes media site, NATO troops are currently conducting exercises with Georgian forces at a training area near Tbilisi, the capital, that still shows the damage of Russian bombardment during that war.

   Several hundred US Marines are participating in the The Agile Spirit exercise, which is aimed at testing the alliance's rapid-response mission.