The Russian Foreign Ministry, on May 31, accused Tbilisi of playing “political games” with the water supply to the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali.

A water pipeline, which crosses Georgian-controlled territory to the north of Tskhinvali, was damaged by local residents, who use the water for irrigation purposes. This is not unusual, but this time, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Georgian side is preventing Ossetian workers from repairing the damaged pipeline.

“Tbilisi is demanding that they first seek permission from the Tbilisi-loyal [Dimitri] Sanakoev [head of South Ossetian provisional administration], who is based [in the Georgian village of] Kurta. The South Ossetian authorities consider any contact with him [Sanakoev] unacceptable. By doing so, Tbilisi has actually turned residents of Tskhinvali and Georgian villages into hostages of its political games,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

It also said that the current situation is “quite dangerous” and called on the Georgian side to de-escalate tensions.

“In this context we also call on the South Ossetian side to show restraint and not to yield to provocations. Direct contacts between the sides and talks in the framework of the JCC [quadripartite Joint Control Commission] are necessary to resolve the present impasse,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, officials in Tbilisi have claimed that the South Ossetians themselves are responsible for the water shortage, because they allegedly cut water supply from a pumping station in Java, a town in the north of the breakaway region.

South Ossetian secessionist leader Eduard Kokoity has warned that water supply to Georgian villages in the region would be cut if supply to Tskhinvali were not immediately restored.