Thread by @EJ_Burrows

I am at the Russia-Georgia border. Everyone I’ve spoken to has had a journey of 24hrs+ to cross. Some people have not slept in two days. Lots say the queue was so long they got out of the car & walked. Many crossed on bikes. There are lots of children & everyone seems v tired.

At Russia-Georgia border, some Russians have queued/biked/walked/scooted for more than 40 hours to cross ‘into safety.’ People are hugging their pets and sitting on suitcases as they work out what to do next…which includes getting through another traffic jam.

‘Mobilisation is very difficult for us because we don’t want to go to war & kill people but we can go to jail if we don’t do what Putin says,” Fakhad told @itvnews shortly after leaving Russia.

‘They’ll just hand you a gun & you’ll be cannon fodder,’ Alexander told me.

Quite a few Russians have crossed into Georgia with their pets.

This is Muchacha the cat from Moscow. Muchacha is remarkably chilled considering her owners took her on a 40+ hour trip out of Russia, via the Caucasus mountains, to Georgia.

‘I’ve left my family, my child, my wife…This is really hard for me. I can’t even imagine what I’m going to do,’ Alexander told @itvnews. ‘I understand if they recognise me as a deserter in Russia, then I cannot return there. I will have to start my life again.’ #Russia #Georgia

I spent the day at Russia-Georgia border in Caucasus mountains. This is what the Russians who fled told me about their journey & the country they left behind.

For many, this will be 1st time they’ve been able to speak freely since war in Ukraine began.

itv.com/news/2022-09-2…