YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Russia has accused European Union monitors deployed along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan of failing to reduce tensions there and again claimed that the main purpose of their mission is to drive Moscow out of the region.

“There is no ‘added value’ from the dubious activity of EU ‘experts’ in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area. Moreover, they are incapable of ensuring security and compliance with the ceasefire agreements reached with the decisive role of Russian mediation,” Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said in written comments released late on Wednesday.

Zakharova reacted to the impending opening of three more EU monitoring “hubs” in the Armenian towns of Kapan, Ijevan and Yeghegnadzor close to the Azerbaijani border. She said the EU is thus keen to “strengthen its presence in Armenia” with the ultimate aim of “squeezing Russia out of the Transcaucasus.”

The EU mission countered on Thursday that it always planned to “operate from 6 hubs with maximum 103 international staff.” “We aim to reach this full operability soon,” tweeted the mission, which has had three such “hubs” until now.

The EU’s special envoy to the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, voiced support for the mission, calling it an “important element” of EU efforts to facilitate regional peace.

The EU deployed the 100 or so monitors in Armenia in February. The Armenian government said the mission requested by it will reduce the risk of a serious escalation in the conflict zone. Its critics point out that ceasefire violations at various sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have continued unabated since then.

The EU monitors’ assessment of those incidents is not known. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in March that Yerevan has no access to their confidential reports sent to Brussels.