蜜芽传媒

The number of Russians travelling to neighbouring Georgia on a daily basis has doubled following President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a partial mobilization of his country's reserve military forces, according to officials in Tbilisi.

Georgia's interior minister, Vakhtang Gomelauri, said some 鈥�10,000 people a day" were now crossing their border with Russia, following the Kremlin's announcement last week that it intends to call up some 300,000 reservists.

蜜芽传媒 Newsday鈥檚 Natalia Golysheva is currently travelling through Georgia by train and spoke to a young Russian who explained why he decided to leave his home city of St Petersburg in Russia.

鈥淚f it was a similar situation to that of World War Two I would be ready to defend my country, but this is a false war created by one person and his cronies who want to extend their hold on power and make this war political theatre on a global scale.鈥�

鈥淢y future is uncertain as my passport expires in five months, I鈥檒l have to extend it urgently - possibly my family will buy a flat Georgia to get a resident鈥檚 permit, perhaps I will migrate to another country in Europe which is friendly to Russian people facing a situation like this.鈥�

(Pic: Crossings from Russia at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars station in Georgia; Credit: Reuters)

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