The first partial mobilisation of the country since World War II has been ordered, and President Vladimir Putin declared on Wednesday that Russia will use any means at its disposal to defend its borders. According to Putin, the extra personnel was necessary to win a fight against both Ukraine and its Western sponsors. Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, announced in a televised speech that 300,000 reserve soldiers will be called up to help the country’s military operation in the neighbouring Ukraine. Given that Russia possesses a 25 million-strong reserve army, this call-up is notable for being partial.
The West has characterised Putin’s action as a ‘act of desperation’. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed Russia ‘cannot win this criminal war’ in Ukraine and that Putin’s ‘most recent choice makes things much worse’ outside the UN General Assembly. Numerous reports have been published since the announcement about the effects on Russian citizens on a daily basis.
Russia-bound flights are sold out;
The cost of one-way tickets out of the nation was increasing and they were selling out quickly. Data from Google Trends indicated a rise in demand for direct flights out of Moscow. Searches for Aviasales, the most well-liked flight-booking website in Russia, increased. The direct flights from Moscow to Yerevan, Armenia, and Istanbul, Turkey, according to Aviasales statistics, were both sold out on Wednesday. It is noteworthy that both locations permit Russians to come without a visa.
Tickets are not being sold to Russian men aged 18 to 65;
The most recent incident was that Russian airlines have stopped selling tickets to Russian males between the ages of 18 and 65 who could be called up for the reservists’ list.
How to break an arm at home;
According to Newsweek, when Putin declared a partial mobilisation, Google searches for ‘how to break an arm at home’ spiked. Russians are using Google to look out tips on ‘avoiding mobilisation and staying alive’. The Ukrainian defence ministry said in a tweet that it would have been wiser to look up how to make Molotov cocktails beforehand.
Russian-Finnish border traffic increases;
Following the statement, Wednesday night’s traffic on the eastern Finnish border with Russia intensified. The increase of activity persisted into Thursday morning, according to a tweet from the Finnish border guard. It demonstrates unequivocally that individuals in Russia are attempting to leave the nation.
Dozens of people were detained in Moscow and St. Petersburg;
A rights organisation said that during Wednesday’s anti-mobilization rallies across Russia, more than 700 individuals were taken into custody. Detentions have been reported in at least 36 different places, according to the independent OVD-Info protest monitoring group. According to Russia’s anti-protest legislation, unapproved rallies are prohibited.
‘I’m worried’; a Russian in Istanbul
One Russian man who arrived at Istanbul Airport claimed that the Kremlin’s decision was a factor in his decision to go. ‘ One of the reasons I’m here is for partial mobilisation. Very bad move that appears to have the potential to cause many issues for Russian people. I’m worried. I didn’t think that mobilisation would be the next step, and it seems like few Russians desire to fight, be mobilised, or join the military’,Alex, as quoted by Reuters, stated. Due to security reasons, he chose not to disclose his last name.
Kremlin’s response;
The Kremlin has replied by claiming that the claims of a migration of males of combat age are overblown. Peskov stated on a conference call with reporters: ‘The information about the buzz at airports and other places is greatly overblown. There is a lot of false information out there concerning this. To avoid falling for incorrect information on this subject, we must exercise extreme caution’.
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