Over 113 000 Russians left Russia through the Verkhny Lars checkpoint towards Georgia in one week amid rumors of a new mobilization.
Politico writes about this.
On August 20 alone, more than 20 000 people passed through the Upper Lars. The Russian Federal Customs Service said that this figure significantly exceeds the level of previous years.
In recent months, the Kremlin has been increasingly recruiting contract soldiers, increasing data collection on reservists, and expanding the powers of the “Rosgvardia”. At the same time, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said on August 20 that new mobilization in the country “is not planned or expected”.
According to Politicoʼs sources, Russia has been unable to consistently recruit more than 30 000 contract soldiers per month this year. In some months, this figure has dropped to 27 000.
Against this background, the Russian authorities have increased their attention to reservists. These are men, mainly under the age of 55, who have previously completed compulsory military service.
- According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia plans to conduct an additional wave of mobilization in 2026-2027: the country expects to recruit 300 000 people this year and 300 000 next year.
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