Images and videos circulating on social media show the border between Russia and Georgia, the former Soviet republic and country at the intersection of Europe and Asia, with long lines of traffic stopped at a mountain pass. A drone video sent from the area on Monday suggests there are hundreds of vehicles gathered on the Russian side, with witnesses saying people are waiting up to 48 hours to cross into Georgia.
Several videos show additional Russian security forces arriving at the border in an armored vehicle.
Queues have built up at the Verkhnii Lars crossing from North Ossetia to Georgia and other border crossings since President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week of a partial mobilization.
Videos show some families and many lone men waiting to cross at Verknii Lars. Hundreds of people are approaching the intersection on foot, pulling suitcases.
Amid the sudden influx, “we are pushing the government to introduce visas and/or close borders,” Georgia opposition politician Nona Mamulashvili told CNN.
At the moment, the border appears to still be open.
Record number of Russians in Finland
The number of Russians who entered Finland through its land border with Russia on Sunday (25) was double the previous Sunday, the Finnish border guard said.
On Sunday, 8,314 Russians entered Finland across the Finnish-Russian land border – double the number a week ago, tweeted Matti Pitkäniitty, head of international affairs at the border guard.
Including Saturday’s figures, 16,886 Russians arrived in total, with “many in transit to other countries”, he added.
After the Kremlin’s “partial mobilization” announcement, Russia saw nationwide protests and an exodus of citizens fleeing the country.
Last Wednesday (21), Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said that the country is closely monitoring the situation. Finland and Russia share a land border that spans 1,340 kilometers (about 830 miles), and there are several border crossing points available.
(With information from Allegra Goodwin and Jorge Engels of CNN)
Source: CNN Brasil
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