Over 113,000 people and over 33,000 vehicles crossed the Russian-Georgian border through the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint in a week, the North Ossetia head of state's press service reported, citing Irbek Tomayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the republic.
The figures were announced at a staff meeting hosted by North Ossetia's Head of State, Sergei Menyailo. These figures refer to the total passenger traffic through the checkpoint, meaning people crossing the border in both directions.
Russian authorities had previously reported a significant increase in traffic through this checkpoint. On August 18, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) reported record passenger traffic: over 20,000 passengers crossed the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint in a single day.
However, Georgian authorities presented different statistics. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs dismissed reports of 20,000 Russians entering the country as disinformation. According to the ministry, 7,880 Russian citizens entered Georgia that day, and 8,406 left.
On August 19, the Federal Customs Service updated its data, stating that this included traffic in both directions. According to updated data, by 6:00 AM on August 19, more than 16,000 people had crossed the border through Verkhniy Lars: approximately 8,500 entered Russia, and more than 7,500 left.
Amid the increased influx from Russia, speculation has emerged that some citizens are leaving the country due to fears of a new wave of mobilization in the fall. However, there is no official confirmation of a connection between the increase in border crossings and possible mobilization.
