Nearly two weeks into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “partial” mobilization for the war in Ukraine, crowds of Russians seeking to escape the draft continue to line up at the country’s southern border with Georgia, which does not require a visa to enter.
Over 93,000 Russians have passed through the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint since Sept. 17, according to the Fontanka.ru news website.
Because the crossing in the Caucasus Mountains is Russia’s main land checkpoint with Georgia, a huge bottleneck has formed — with exhausting wait times of up to five days with no facilities.
Here is a look at the scene at the Verkhniy Lars border checkpoint:
