Men Flee Russia After Putin’s Military Call For 300K Reservists

Suddenly, they’re against the war… Masses of draft-age Russians headed abroad on Thursday to escape their country’s biggest military call-up drive since World War Two. https://twitter.com/AP/status/1573352750884261888 From AP News:

Military-aged men fled Russia in droves Friday, filling planes and causing traffic jams at border crossings to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine following the Kremlin’s partial military mobilization.

The lines of cars were so long at the border with Kazakhstan that some people abandoned their vehicles and proceeded on foot — just as some Ukrainians did after Russia invaded their country on Feb. 24.

Meanwhile, dozens of flights out of Russia — with tickets sold at sky-high prices — carried men to international destinations such as Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, where Russians don’t need visas.

Putin’s military call-up of reservists could be as high as 300,000. According to the BBC, anti-war protests in 38 Russian cities saw more than 1,300 people arrested on Wednesday. Some of the detainees had been ordered to report to enlistment offices. https://youtu.be/-HAksuNgfq4 https://twitter.com/BBCSteveR/status/1573066326905585664 https://twitter.com/RFERL/status/1572970368075431937