Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency Posted on 09/21/2022 11:08:19 AM PDT by Red Badger
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Thousands of conscription-age Russian men appeared to be attempting to flee the country Wednesday as others planned how to avoid being sent to the front after President Vladimir Putin declared a partial military mobilization for the war in Ukraine.
“I don't want to be cannon fodder,” one 30-year-old Muscovite who asked for anonymity to speak freely told The Moscow Times.
The most obvious way for men to avoid conscription is to leave the country and Wednesday’s direct flights from Russia to Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan — nearby countries that allow Russians to enter without a visa — quickly sold out.
Prices for one-way flights to popular destinations later rose at least eightfold, with tickets from the Russian capital to Yerevan on Thursday being sold for about 160,000 rubles ($2,621) and from Moscow to Dubai priced at 170,000 rubles ($2,784).
Departure board at a Moscow airport. Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency Departure board at a Moscow airport.Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency “My brother is scared. We are urgently trying to buy him a plane ticket somewhere,” said a Russian woman, whose brother recently completed his military service.
“We only hope that he can cross the Russian border without any problems,” the woman, who declined to provide her name, told The Moscow Times.
While Russian law provides for restrictions on movement in the case of a general mobilization, the Kremlin has not yet taken any steps to close Russia’s borders.
The head of Russia’s State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov said Wednesday that the borders are likely to remain open, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the issue.
“Of course, I have fears. I really want to avoid conscription and I would definitely leave the country if my finances allowed me and if I had friends abroad,” said Oleg, 29, who has also completed his military service.
“I’m trying to figure out how to do it.”
While Putin said that Russia would only implement a “partial” mobilization, prioritizing the call-up of military reserves with experience in the Armed Forces, a lack of official detail has sparked confusion and fear about who might actually be affected.
In particular, the official Kremlin decree on the subject published Wednesday was much more vague about who might be called up.
“The situation is currently unclear,” said Sergei Krivenko, director of the human rights group Citizen. Army. Law. that provides legal assistance to Russian soldiers.
“Judging by the decree… any citizen from the military reserve can potentially be drafted,” he told The Moscow Times.
The uncertainty appeared to be fueling a sense of panic among some Russians, as well as creative solutions to try to avoid being drafted.
NEWS Explainer: What Does Russia’s ‘Partial Mobilization’ Mean? READ MORE “People will use any opportunity to avoid conscription — some might go back to university or find a part-time job in the defense sector,” the Muscovite said.
“I even thought about breaking my own arm to get a medical waiver.”
Others said that mobilization was likely to be unevenly applied in different regions, with those in the Russian capital less likely to be targeted than poorer parts of the country.
“Hopefully they will spare Muscovites again. I am sure the authorities do not need pictures of police and military commissars chasing after hipsters on the subway,” said Vyacheslav Tikhonov, a Moscow-based journalist.
“It is terrible that Muscovites will most likely avoid conscription at the expense of the regions, but I have nothing else for which to hope,” Tikhonov told The Moscow Times.
The mobilization announcement comes as Russia faces a shortage of soldiers in Ukraine after a series of military defeats around the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
In the first official estimate of Russia’s battlefield losses since March, Defense Minister Shoigu said Wednesday that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine over the course of seven months of fighting.
But the real total is likely far higher, with public data suggesting at least 6,219 soldiers have been killed and U.S. officials estimating last month that up to 80,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded since February.
“Why send us there? I think that all military campaigns should be carried out by professional soldiers and those who voluntarily sign military contracts,” the Muscovite said.
“What’s happening now is the biggest failure in the history of Russia.”
"Putin is never going to call up any mobilization because of his excellent strategic mind and that Russia is winning."
Reality:
Ukraine launches one of the greatest counter attacks since World War II.
Wagner Group is recruiting from Russian prisons.
Russia passes partial mobilization laws.
"How to get out of Russia" is a top Google search minutes after the mobilization laws are passed.
Russian Shills:
"The call up is more proof of Putin's excellent strategic mind and how Russia is winning."
“If he would have removed the leftists?”
Well, that wouldn’t have happened. Unless you mean he would remove them to replace them with real bolsheviks.
A modern advanced military’s relationship with winter has changed, clothing and clothing materials, aircraft, wheeled and tracked vehicles, how to transport troops, medivacs, field hospitals, and rear area housing in harsh climates, equipment and supplies, electronic intelligence gathering, and satellites, drones, spy jets, long-distance communication equipment, supply systems, and field rations.
Winter risks and challenges are not exactly the same as they were 80 years ago, today women climb Mt. Everest, winter camping is a lark, and winter activities are easy, not because we are all grizzled 1930s Finns now, but because we are in the 21st century and many things have changed since the middle of the last century.
“Now Russia is royally screwed.”
Until either cancer or assassination takes Putin out, Russia will continue this downward spiral.
You lie and they lie.
There is no difference stooge!
Join Date = July 15 2022
What was your previous FR name before your last zot troll?
You think we can’t spot you guys from miles away?
Can’t wait till the corruption of this regime is exposed and they see all the elite getting passes and the demands for bribes hit, that is when fireworks start
Who is “we?” Aren’t you from another country?
Maybe you should take that up with Fidel Jr.
Now *that’s* funny right there. I’ll never be able to see or hear the phrase “cannon fodder” again without thinking of that.
You’re an idiot
As I have said—Russians are all cowards and chicken hearted. They don’t want to get their hands dirty. Putin has Lost before the war starts. Now is the time for NATO to attack and roll to Moscow and seize Russia. Nothing can stop a Polish army with America support from doing what Hitler and Napoleon could not.
************
Oh no, Stalingrad proved outsiders can never take over Russia. The Boshevicks proved Russians can take over Russia, but outsiders cannot.
Want to see panic? Wait till they put in the draft in the United States. Its coming folks. To think there will never be another big war is to not believe history. It is only a question of time. If the all volunteer army fails us who will fight for America? The choices are limited— Mercenaries?
I saw a blogger last night that fled Russia a few weeks ago.
He said he felt trapped, because he didn’t have the resources to flee. Fortunately some people who had been following his blog, stepped up and helped him get out.
I wonder how many would like to flee and are trapped like he was.
There is a 24/7/365 media propaganda war against Russia. Idiots read and automatically believe.
Its people should have ridded themselves of Putin at some point
You are assuming the vote is accurate, no??
Now Russia is royally screwed.
I don't think so. All the west has done is accelerate the adoptation of a new currency for half the world and the Western deb-based economies fade.
The BRICS have what they need, and are discussing an alternative system to prevent the West from hurting them like they have done by throwing Russia out of SWIFT and stealing Russian Reserves.
There are other nations in the fold other than Brazil, Russia, India, China. Eventually, it is likely that many South American countries will default on the western debt that enslaves them and the BRICS will be waiting with new banking relationships, currency, infrastructure. Once the first nation does this, it will be revealed that there is a way out to a new life.
Just watch.
My grandmother was Russian. My neighbor is Russian. My grandmother left Russia as soon as the communists took over. My neighbor and her parents left as soon as they could.
Again, Russia is widely hated.
OK
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