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More than 113,000 Russian citizens crossed into Georgia through the Verkhniy Lars (Upper Lars) border checkpoint last week, amid growing speculation about a possible new wave of mobilization in Russia, according to Politico.

According to the report, more than 20,000 people crossed the checkpoint on August 20 alone, a figure that Russia’s Federal Customs Service said was significantly higher than levels recorded in previous years.

The increase comes despite Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya saying on the same day that a new mobilization was “not planned and not expected.”

However, Russian human rights organizations say they have observed growing concern among men of draft age, particularly reservists. The organization Conscript School reported an increase in requests for assistance, with its director Alexei Tabalov telling Politico that Russian authorities have increasingly been collecting personal information about reservists through their employers, including details concerning the places of residence of their relatives.

According to Tabalov, some reservists have also been summoned to military registration and enlistment offices, where they have been given documents specifying the military units to which they would be required to report if mobilized.

He suggested that the system could enable Russian authorities to rapidly expand military recruitment without formally announcing another nationwide mobilization.

The organization Appeal to Conscience, which assists Russians seeking to exercise their right to conscientious objection, also said the Kremlin is facing increasing difficulties in recruiting sufficient numbers of contract soldiers for the war in Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian military estimates cited by Politico, Russian military losses have exceeded 30,000 personnel per month in recent months and have reached around 40,000 during some periods. Meanwhile, sources cited by the publication said Russia has struggled to consistently recruit more than 30,000 contract soldiers per month in 2026, with monthly recruitment falling to around 27,000 in some periods.

Against this backdrop, Moscow has reportedly increased its focus on reservists, particularly men under the age of 55 who previously completed mandatory military service. Former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu estimated in 2022 that Russia had a reserve of approximately 25 million people.

The report also points to preparations at the regional level. Russian authorities have reportedly instructed regions to conduct administrative and organizational preparations for a possible mobilization, including exercises involving conscription procedures, accommodation and the provision of food and weapons. Similar preparations have reportedly been carried out in the Kaliningrad region.

In July, the leadership of Russia’s National Guard, or Rosgvardia, also proposed changes to departmental regulations that would replace references to preparations for “military conflicts and emergency situations” with wording explicitly referring to “periods of mobilization, martial law and wartime.”

Politico further reported that some Russians are leaving the country preemptively because an electronic draft notice can automatically trigger a restriction on leaving Russia, even if the recipient has not read the notification.

Georgia is not the only potential destination. Armenia could also become an alternative for Russians seeking to avoid mobilization. Armenian Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan previously told Dozhd television that Yerevan would not prevent Russians from entering the country if they decided to leave Russia because of fears of mobilization.