Russian civilians are racing to the country's borders in a desperate bid to avoid being drafted following Vladimir Putin's mobilisation announcement. Images show queues of cars lined up at the border, with similar scenes at Moscow airport as crowds - almost all male - cram into terminals.
The Kremlin has called up 300,000 young men and former soldiers to be sent to battlefields in Ukraine, with officials stating that 6000 troops have died in the country so far. An order is also currently in place banning under-65s from leaving Russia, the Mirror reports. Despite this, many are reportedly escaping through the borders into Georgia and Finland to avoid conscription.
However, airline and train companies are believed to have stopped ticket sales to male passengers who fall under this age group. Sanctions also mean that there are limited destinations to travel to, causing flight prices to skyrocket.
A one-way trip from Moscow to Peru will now cost £14,900. The fear is palpable among those who could soon find themselves on the front line.
Grisha, 24, an engineering student in St Petersburg, received basic military training as part of his course at university, and now he fears he is first in line to be drafted. He says: “I didn’t start this war. I don’t want this war.
“There’s no way I’m going to go and get killed [in Ukraine]. And for what?”
Olya, 23, is nervous her boyfriend will be called up. She added: “My godfather served in the army before as well, so he can be made to go and fight now. He’s worried, he has a young family and a good life with them in the countryside.
“He spends his time playing with hedgehogs in the garden, not killing people. My dad continues to support the ‘special operation’ in Ukraine. I told him if he really thinks we’re under attack, he should be the one to go and fight, not guys who don’t want to be there.”
But while the Kremlin is hoping drafting teenagers will be enough to swing the war in its favour, others say it could easily backfire. Russian propaganda expert Dr Jade McGlynn said: “This is a dangerous moment for Putin.
“There’s always a small number of people who rabidly support the war, but most people don’t want to send their sons to die.”
A poll carried out by allies of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny found half of Russians believe drafting people into the military “is a step in the wrong direction”. On Wednesday night, furious young people took to the streets of Moscow to protest the mobilisation order, chanting “No to war”.
Riot police detained dozens of them, with many handed conscription notices in the station. Those who refuse face up to ten years in jail.
Meanwhile, pop sensation and cultural icon Alla Pugacheva has become the latest in a series of celebrities to hit out at Putin’s attempts to destroy Ukraine. She said this vain quest is “making our country a pariah and the lives of our citizens extremely difficult”.
At the same time, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, told him that “today’s era is not the era of war.” Meanwhile, pop sensation and cultural icon Alla Pugacheva has become the latest in a series of celebrities to hit out at Putin’s attempts to destroy Ukraine, which she said is “making our country a pariah and the lives of our citizens extremely difficult.”
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