Days after following the announcement of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilise thousands of Russians for the conflict in Ukraine, Russian men are now finding their way to Georgia to avoid being called up for a fight they do not support. However, there are no clear calculations to define how many Russians have left the country.
As per Russian media and local officials, the projected wait time to enter Georgia at one point on Sunday is 48 hours, and now over 3,000 vehicles are lined up to cross the border. The official statistics stated that till now, Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, has witnessed an influx of approximately 40,000 Russians.
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In conversation with Reuters, Dmitry Kuriliyunok, an army reservist, said that as soon as they found out about mobilisation, they left everything behind and rushed to the car, driving from Krasnodar to Mineralnye Vody, where they, along with his wife and daughter, arrived in Tbilisi a day later.
He said, “We are completely against this war. For us, like for others, it’s scary. To die and to kill others, and for what? We don’t understand. Therefore, we decided to flee,” Reuters reported.
Not just now, a few Russians flew to neighbouring countries months or days before the announcement of mobilisation came due to their dismay over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, the influx of newcomers to Tbilisi poses a risk of reigniting simmering anti-Russian sentiment among Georgia’s locals.
In Tbilisi, several shops, museums, and other infrastructural properties were plastered with Ukrainian flags. Locals demanded Russians go back home as they believed everything was normal for them, but now as they are being forced to get involved in the war, they are now protesting.
Border crossings with Kazakhstan, Finland, and Mongolia have also reported similar migrations to those at the Russia-Georgia border.
Currently, there are either no seats available on flights leaving from Moscow, or if there are, the tickets are at extremely expensive prices.
(With inputs from agencies)
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