Russian Cruise Passengers Face Hostility and Harassment in Georgian Port

Russian passengers on a cruise ship in Batumi, Georgia were jeered at and heckled by locals protesting over the Ukraine war and disputed territories occupied by Russia. The ship departed earlier than scheduled on July 27 due to the protests and returned on July 31 to further demonstrations. Georgia has long-standing tensions with Russia, and a survey shows that the majority of Georgians oppose Russian foreign policy. The cruise ship's Turkish operator has no further stops planned for Batumi.