Posted on 09/21/2022 6:52:04 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
Terrified Russians are scrambling to flee the country today with one-way flights out of Moscow sold out after Vladimir Putin sparked mass panic by ordering a troop mobilisation in a dramatic escalation of the Ukraine war.
Tickets to Johannesburg for a family of three were earlier fetching £44,000, while the cheapest flights from the capital to Dubai were costing more than £4,500 - about five times the average monthly wage, amid the desperate race to escape the potential conscription.
In a nationwide speech, Putin ordered the call-up of 300,000 military reserves - a first in Russia since the Second World War - and issued a chilling new threat to use nuclear weapons against the West, telling world leaders to back off Ukraine while warning: 'I'm not bluffing'.
The apocalyptic warnings have prompted even China to demand a ceasefire 'through dialogue and consultation', while Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Putin should return all occupied land, including Crimea, to its 'rightful owners'.
According to Russian investigative news outlet RBK, all plane tickets to countries where Russians would not need a visa, including Turkey, Armenia and Georgia, have now sold out, while flagship airline Aeroflot is not displaying any available flights.
Bus tickets were also sold out, and searches for 'how to leave Russia' also topped Google traffic at the time Putin's speech was originally scheduled, data shows.
-snip-
Meanwhile a mixture of fear, anger, and dissent was spreading across Russian social media networks.
Users even coined a new word - 'Mogilisation' from the Russian word 'mogila' or 'grave' - to describe the expected fate of those taken away to fight.
Lilianna D demanded: 'I recommend mobilising the entire Duma [parliament] and their families first of all. And let people see how loyal they are.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Comrade Putin really stomped on his own wanger this time.
When even China thinks you’ve gone too far, Russia has no real outside support left
time for Russia to withdraw and start paying reparations
Reminds me of the Dopester Hippies fleeing the US to Canada during the Vietnam War.
Most of the Russian Vloggers I follow have fled to Georgia.
They even kicked Bald and Bankrupt out.
Not that I can predict the future, but I’m thinking I see ‘retirement’ for Putin before end of year.
Probably what most mothers think about their kids being sent to yet one more useless war.
aMorePerfectUnion, I hope I never end up on your bad side. You kinda nuked Chris Pleasance...
if there is a race for first-retirement, byeDone will win.
Dead son = Free Lada.
Sheer and utter Brit fabulism.
If it were simply a matter of health and mental capacity, I would agree. However, while Biden has Jill and deep state to carry his carcass forward even after he is expired, Putin is fast creating (dangerous) enemies at home. I put ‘retirement’ in quotes for a reason.
Speaking of following, what's John Kerry been up to lately?
My buddies and cousins were all in Nam...that wasn't a war either....just a little ole conflict.
Russia is one of the most dreadful nations to live on the entire planet.
That’s why American, British, French, Italian, Brazilian, Australian, and Japanese women do not place adds for marriage on Russian websites with the hope of moving to Russia.
However, thousands upon thousands of Russian women place adds on websites hoping and praying to be a mail order bride to a man in America or the United Kingdom, or anywhere, except Russia.
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