Georgia Denies Report of Border Surge as Queues Grow

More than 20,000 people crossed the border between Russia and Georgia in a single day, the Russian Federal Customs Service reported, adding that it has been recording increased traffic for several days.

On 15 and 16 August, more than 19,000 people crossed the Verkhny Lars border crossing each day. According to the agency, current figures significantly exceed those from comparable periods in previous years.

The Telegram channel Ostorozhno Novosti, citing eyewitnesses, reported that a major traffic jam had formed on the Russian side. Vehicles were moving about 100 meters every two hours.

The Georgian ministry of internal Affairs disputed these figures on 19 August, calling them false. The ministry said 7,880 citizens of various countries had crossed the Georgian state border through the Upper Lars crossing point in the previous 24 hours.

Meanwhile, on 13 August, Russia and Georgia closed the land border for several hours after a river overflowed its banks. Verkhny Lars is the only land border crossing between the two countries.

The crossing was also exceptionally busy in late September 2022, when thousands of people left Russia following the announcement of military mobilization. At that time, lines several kilometers long formed at the border, with travelers waiting up to several days.

(meduza, bak)