{
  "id": 4054105,
  "title": "More than 113,000 Russians cross into Georgia in a week as fears grow of new mobilization, Politico reports",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/more-than-113-000-russians-cross-into-georgia-in-a-week-as-fears-grow",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-28T22:47:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/more-than-113-000-russians-cross-into-georgia-in-a-week-as-fears-grow-of-new-mobilization-politico-reports/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Over 113,000 Russians crossed into Georgia via the Upper Lars checkpoint last week, raising concerns that the Kremlin may be preparing for another wave of mobilization, according to Politico. The surge in border crossings coincides with the Russian government's aggressive recruitment tactics, increased data collection on military reservists, and expansion of the National Guard's mandate, which has fueled speculation about an imminent call-up. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Presidential Office has warned that Russia plans to mobilize 600,000 recruits over the next two years, with 300,000 set to be called up this year alone. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the Russian leadership sees this additional mobilization as a response to losing initiative in the war, mounting personnel losses, and a slowdown in regional contract recruitment. Alexey Tabalov, a founder of the Russian human rights group School of the Conscript, has observed a rise in requests for legal assistance from men of military age, mostly from the military reserve. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier suggested that Russia would mobilize around 300,000 people after September's State Duma elections, but would avoid targeting major cities to avoid public backlash. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these mobilization rumors, with a spokesperson attributing the speculation to Ukrainian authorities attempting to destabilize the situation ideologically. Georgia has experienced similar border traffic before, receiving over 100,000 Russians in September 2022 during a partial Russian mobilization. Since then, Russia has primarily relied on contract soldiers and has been expanding its recruitment methods to include university students.",
  "summary": "Earlier, Ukraine's Presidential Office issued a warning, saying that Russia plans to mobilize 600,000 recruits over 2026 and 2027, with 300,000 to be called up this year and another 300,000 next year.",
  "key_points": [
    "Over 113,000 Russians crossed into Georgia last week.",
    "Kremlin fears new mobilization based on border crossings.",
    "Ukraine warns of 600,000 recruits over two years."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}