Hundreds of thousands of Russian men flee their country as a result of Russia’s announcement of partial mobilization.
Countries like Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan which offer visa-free entries to Russians have seen an influx of Russians.
Other nations bordering Russia like Finland, Lithuania, and Latvia plan to severely limit or stop Russians trying to cross their borders.
The men leaving Russia include those with draft papers and those without, who fear full mobilization. They also include the well-off and educated as the price for a plane ticket out of Russia can range from 10,000 to 50,000 cedis. Those who can’t afford the high air fares flee by car or are unable to leave at all.
In response, the Russian military has established enlistment offices on the borders of Kazakhstan and Georgia to catch those leaving with draft papers. No plans to close down the border have been announced yet, though a senior governmental official has announced on Telegram that those who are drafted are forbidden to leave their place of residence.
Within Russia, protests have continued. Some have come from Russia’s ethnic minorities who claim that they are being disproportionally drafted while others have occurred in major Russian cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow leading to the arrest of thousands.
At least 20 recruitment offices have been set ablaze in areas all across Russia and a Siberian recruitment officer has been shot and seriously wounded.
