What is Happening at Upper Lars: Dolce Velle

Recent reports of an increased flow of passengers at the Upper Lars checkpoint have sparked theories linking it to the possibility of a new military mobilization in Russia. However, the Georgian side has denied claims of a "record" flow, and no extraordinary congestion has been recorded on site, reports DW.

On August 18, the Federal Customs Service of Russia announced that approximately 20,000 people had crossed the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russo-Georgian border in a single day, also recording a "record number" of passenger cars.

Following this announcement, speculation spread that Russian citizens were fleeing to Georgia en masse to avoid a potential new draft, similar to the situation during the mobilization in 2022.

However, on August 19, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs declared that on that day, 7,880 citizens from various countries had entered Georgia through Upper Lars, while 8,406 people had traveled from Georgia to Russia. The Georgian agency also urged caution against the dissemination of "unverified information."

Later, the Federal Customs Service of Russia clarified that the figure of 20,000 included crossings in both directions—entry into Russia as well as exit. On August 19, the total number of crossings was slightly over 16,000.

According to Russian authorities, there is currently a higher flow of passengers entering Russia, attributed to the end of the holiday season and the return of citizens from vacation. At the same time, there is still intense traffic exiting Russia due to the continued tourist season.

One of the reasons for the congestion at the checkpoint in recent days could also be the temporary closure of Upper Lars due to the risk of landslides following heavy rains on August 13. During that time, vehicles had accumulated at the border.

As of August 20, no extraordinary queues were reported at Upper Lars. Several travelers interviewed on-site mentioned that it took them about an hour to cross the border. One Georgian border guard also noted that there had been no extraordinary increase in passenger flow, and the situation was comparable to the previous year.

Some citizens traveling from Russia to Georgia also denied during interviews with journalists that their journey was related to a possible military mobilization, indicating that they were leaving for tourism or personal reasons.