Yevnevich was involved in two incidents last week, when Georgian military police detained a Russian diplomatic car on two occasions near the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia. Russian ambassador at large Yury Popov and other officials were also in the car.
Sergei Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, said Yevnevich was an experienced combat officer responsible for peacekeepers not only in South Ossetia but also another breakaway region, Abkhazia.
"I personally think this was not a very correct step on the Georgian part, the more so as General Yevnevich's documents were drawn up correctly," he told journalists.
Ivanov said there had been many provocations in the conflict zone. He said the Russian peacekeepers were fulfilling the mandate registered in the Joint Control Commission for the resolution of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
"If the JCC theoretically decides to change this mandate - okay, let's talk about this within the JCC framework," the Russian defense minister said. "And if some decision is made, of course Russia's armed units, just as all others, must abide by them. But as the mandate has not been changed, there's no other way."
