Amid rumors of a possible new mobilization in Russia, more than 113,000 Russian citizens have traveled to Georgia within a week.
Modern.az reports, citing local media, that after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced mobilization in the autumn of 2022, Russians who massively left the country have now started to leave without waiting for events amid news of a possible mobilization.
Despite repeated statements by Russian officials that a new mobilization is not planned, many Russians are reportedly leaving the country in advance, taking into account previous experience.
According to Politico, approximately 113,000 Russian citizens passed through the "Upper Lars" border crossing point towards Georgia last week. Georgia is one of the few countries where it is possible to travel visa-free from Russia by land.
On August 20, more than 20,000 people crossed the border crossing point. The Russian Federal Customs Service announced that this figure was "significantly higher" compared to previous years.
On the same day, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that mobilization is "not planned and not expected."
It should be noted that Nebenzya had previously denied Western warnings about the invasion of Ukraine. For example, on January 31, 2022, he called the statements of Western countries about Russia's preparations for an attack on Ukraine "unfounded and provocative."
