The authorities of North Ossetia reported an increase in the number of people entering Russia from Georgia

Over the past week, when clashes between protesters and police took place in Tbilisi, more than 14,000 people crossed the Russian-Georgian border through the Kazbegi-Upper Lars border checkpoint from Georgian territory. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Irbek Tomaev.

“The number of people entering the territory of the Russian Federation has increased – 14,072 people,” said Irbek Tomaev at a staff meeting in the government of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (quoted from “Interfax”).

On March 13, 864 cars were registered for entry into the Russian Federation from the territory of Georgia, and 641 cars for exit from the Russian Federation, writes Interfax with reference to the North Caucasus Customs Administration. The largest number of cars over the past week was recorded on March 12 – 1,197 cars in the direction of the Russian Federation. Over the past week, 11,380 vehicles crossed the Russian-Georgian border in both directions through Upper Lars, the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

Over the past week, according to Mr. Tomaev, 26,580 people crossed the state border in both directions through the Upper Lars checkpoint, the number of those who left Georgia is not much more than those who arrived from the Russian Federation.

A source in the municipality of the Georgian town of Stepantsminda, right at the border, told Kommersant in a telephone conversation that there is nothing “extraordinary” in these figures, they “change frequently from week to week”, the Kazbegi checkpoint is “working normally” and there are no congestions of vehicles on the Tbilisi-Stepantsminda-Vladikavkaz highway, except for the immediate territory of the checkpoint, “now there is none.”

For more information about the Georgian protests, see Kommersant’s article “Georgian Dream Refused Foreign Agents.”

Giorgi Dvali, Tbilisi