Satellite photos show 10-mile-long traffic jam at Russian border
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A satellite image showing the large traffic jam of trucks and cars waiting to cross the border into Georgia from Russia. Photo: Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies
New satellite images show a line of cars and trucks spanning more than 10 miles trying to leave Russia and enter Georgia.
Why it matters: Putin's efforts to mobilize 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine have sparked resistance in his country, where recruitment offices have been torched and Russians are trying to flee the country to evade military conscription.
Driving the news: Flights to countries like Turkey that still allow visa-free travel from Russia have sold out or spiked dramatically in price, Axios' Dave Lawler reports.
- The satellite images taken by Maxar Technology showed a traffic jam of private vehicles leaving Russia and entering neighboring Georgia and Mongolia, which don't require visas, NBC News notes.
- Maxar said it was "difficult to convey the full extent" of the traffic in the photos, adding that the line "likely continued further to the north of the imaged area" by Russia's border with Georgia.
The big picture: A number of countries, including Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have said they would restrict entry for Russians this week amid attempts to flee.
- Some Russian men have tried to go to Belarus, an ally of Russia, which has ordered its security forces to report any Russian men found fleeing the draft to authorities, the Associated Press reports.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Putin's mobilization is an admission that his country is struggling to continue its war.
Go deeper: Putin's escalation gamble
