Russia approves 284 flights per week to Georgia

Rosaviatsiya, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, issued approvals on July 5 for 284 flights per week from Russia to Georgia.

Some flight routes, such as from Sochi to Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, will be increased from three to seven times per week.

Other Russian cities have newly-established flight routes to Georgia. The newly-approved flight routes include flights from Rostov and Krasnodar.

However, given the cities' geographical proximity to the Ukrainian border, civilian flights have been suspended since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In late May, protests broke out in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, after direct flights between the two countries resumed.

The Russian government previously suspended all flights to Georgia in 2019 following anti-Russia protests in Tbilisi. However, the decision was reversed, and Russia also reinstated its 90-day visa-free arrangement with Georgia.

Regarding the decision, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili acknowledged in late May that there was a "political motivation" behind the Russian government's decision.

However, he also said that "the more countries a Georgian citizen can visit without a visa the better."

According to Papuashvili, Georgian authorities would also be monitoring any potential security concerns associated with an influx of Russians visiting the country.

However, critics have been wary of the Georgian government's continued diplomatic ties to Russia, with Papuashvili even saying that it was not a "policy of concessions" but rather a "strategic policy of patience."

Batu Kutelia: Lessons from Georgia of geopolitical procrastination

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Feb. 24, 2022, was the date that Russia launched a decisive offensive against the free world. This war has caused a far-reaching domino effect

The Kyiv IndependentBatu Kutelia