(CNN)  -- Russia and South Ossetia have strongly denied news reports that a motorcade carrying the presidents of Georgia and Poland came under fire, calling the claims "a provocation" meant to destabilize the region. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, said there were "unpredictable people" in the area. "This is a real provocation," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on Monday. "It is not the first time that such things have happened: First they mastermind everything themselves and then accuse the Russian or the Ossetian side." Eduard Kokoity, president of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, added: "Today's event was a deliberate provocative act of the Georgian and Polish presidents targeted at regional destabilization."
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Russian peacekeepers, South Ossetia deny involvement in shooting
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Leaders' motorcade was not hit, and there were no injuries
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Ministry: Motorcade was passing a checkpoint near South Ossetia
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The shots were fired from Russian-controlled territory, ministry officials say
Tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between Russian and @placeholder troops broke out in August.