Georgian Interior Ministry denies reports of mass border crossings at  Upper Lars checkpoint from Russia

ArmInfo. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has denied reports of mass crossings of  the Upper Lars checkpoint from the Russian side.

A statement from the Russian Federal Customs Service on August 18  claimed that more than 19,000 people crossed the checkpoint daily on  August 15 and 16. However, many media outlets have presented this  information as if approximately 20,000 Russian citizens crossed the  Russian-Georgian border in the last 24 hours, linking this to rumours  circulating about a possible declaration of a total mobilization in  Russia in the fall. 

"Reports are being circulated in various mass media and social  networks stating that 20,000 Russian citizens allegedly crossed the  Georgian border through the Lars customs checkpoint over the past 24  hours.  To inform the public, we clarify that this information is  untrue and serves the purposeful dissemination of disinformation by  certain interested parties. We clarify that, according to the data  for the past 24 hours, 7,880 citizens of various states crossed the  state border of Georgia through the Lars checkpoint," the Georgian  Interior Ministry stated.

The ministry added that 8,406 citizens of various countries departed  Georgia through the same checkpoint during the same period. "We urge  all interested parties to refrain from spreading unverified  information, as well as from publishing distorted data and  misinterpreting them," the Georgian Interior Ministry's statement  reads.