The Russia-Georgia border is now closed to bicycles and scooters, witnesses say

The border between Russia and Georgia is closed to pedestrians, cyclists, and scooters at the Verkhny Lars crossing in North Ossetia, reports Baza. Only cars and buses are allowed across.

Russian news site Podyom also reports that it’s impossible to enter Georgia on a bicycle or scooter, citing a source in law enforcement in North Ossetia. Georgian blogger Nikolay Levshits reports that, according to eyewitnesses, “walking or cycling across the checkpoint is forbidden.” An unnamed source at The Insider said that pedestrians crossings stopped at night on September 29. 

The Telegram channel “Verkhovny Lars,” which has more than 140,000 members, has conflicting information on the issue.

The press office of the FSB’s border control in North Ossetia told news service RBK that the crossing at Verkhovny Lars was functioning normally. “We have an international automobile checkpoint, which means people can cross the border in a vehicle: a car, bicycle, scooter, etc. We do not have a pedestrian border crossing,” the department said.

There have been reports from earlier in the week that people had successfully crossed on foot, though the FSB maintained that this was not possible.

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After the beginning of mobilization some citizens of Russia left country. Lines many kilometers long have formed at the borders of Kazakhstan, Georgia, Finland, and Mongolia. It takes Russians an average of three days to cross into Georgia, though it can be done faster on a bicycle or scooter.