Record crowds cross the Russia–Georgia border at Verkhny Lars, data confirms

Russia's Federal Customs Service announced on the evening of August 18 that a record number of passengers had crossed the Verkhny Lars checkpoint on the Russia–Georgia border, with more than 20,000 people passing through in a single day. The agency noted that heavy tourist traffic had also brought a record number of passenger cars, and said the trend had held for several days: on August 15 and 16, more than 19,000 people crossed each day. Current figures, the service said, significantly exceed those recorded in comparable periods in previous years.

The statement did not break down how many people crossed toward Georgia versus toward Russia, but the more than 20,000 figure appears to cover both directions combined. Since the release went out before complete data for August 18 was available, the number most likely refers to crossings on August 17.

Georgia's Interior Ministry issued its own statement at 4 p.m. Moscow time on August 19, pushing back on media and social media reports claiming that 20,000 Russian citizens had crossed into Georgia over the previous 24 hours. According to the ministry, just over 16,000 citizens of various countries crossed the border at Verkhny Lars during that period — likely from 4 p.m. on August 18 to 4 p.m. on August 19 Moscow time — with 7,880 heading into Georgia and 8,406 into Russia. Those figures are broadly in line with the Russian customs service's data.

Long lines are a routine occurrence at the crossing, partly because bad weather can force temporary closures, as happened on August 13. According to posts in Telegram chats monitoring the Verkhny Lars situation, morning wait times ran roughly three to five hours from August 15 through 19, though crossings moved much faster in the evenings. By the evening of August 19, the chats reported no significant lines remaining.