Russians are fleeing to Georgia in droves, unwilling to fight in war against Ukraine: record-long lines at border due to rumors of mobilization
Tens of thousands of Russians are heading to Georgia amid rumours of a possible new wave of conscription following the September elections to the Russian State Duma. The number of people seeking to leave the country has risen sharply – Russians fear being conscripted and sent to fight in the war against Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, Russian media outlets report this, citing the Russian Federal Customs Service and eyewitnesses.
More than 20,000 people cross the border every day
Russian customs authorities have reported a "record number of passengers" passing through the Verkhniy Lars border crossing – the only land crossing on the Russian-Georgian border.
On 15 and 16 August, more than 19,000 people crossed the border into Georgia each day, and on 18 August, the figure rose to over 20,000.
The Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation has acknowledged that the current figures "significantly exceed those for the same periods in previous years".
Eyewitnesses report a major traffic jam on the Russian side. According to them, in some sections, vehicles are moving at a rate of about 50 metres per hour.
A similar situation had already arisen in Verkhniy Lars in September 2022, when, following Putin’s announcement of a mobilisation, tens of thousands of Russians tried to leave the country. At that time, queues stretching for several kilometres at the border lasted for several days.
Demand for housing has risen sharply in Yerevan
Signs that Russians are preparing for a possible departure are also being observed in Armenia. Earlier, ‘Verstka’ reported a sharp rise in demand amongst Russian citizens for flats to rent in Yerevan.
One of the local estate agents compared the situation to that of 2022. According to the publication, rents have risen by around 30 per cent, and due to a shortage of affordable housing, Russians have started looking for strangers to share flats with.
Rumours of mobilisation intensified in the run-up to the election
This new wave of emigration is taking place against a backdrop of reports about possible decisions by the Kremlin following the State Duma elections in September.
According to sources cited by ‘Verska’, the Russian authorities may be considering imposing martial law and carrying out a new mobilisation.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have also previously written about the Kremlin’s possible preparations for mobilisation measures. In an interview with *The Washington Post*, European officials did not rule out the possibility that Moscow might take such a step if the Russian army continues to suffer heavy losses in the war against Ukraine.
The Russian authorities have not yet officially announced a new wave of mobilisation.
