Ukraine reacts to fears of Russian invasion as troops build up at the border

[Broomstick]

It still doesn't explain why the Russians were deliberately targeting civilians for torture, why they have been deporting Ukrainian children to "foster homes", and why several Ukrainian civilians and captured soldiers have "gone missing".

The short version is "evil people do evil things".

A more nuanced version is that the Russians were told there were Nazis doing horrible things to their Ukrainian brothers and some uneducated, deliberately kept misinformed people are doing horrible things to ferret out these horrible Nazis and to get them to confess their crimes, either unaware or not caring that there are, in fact, no Nazis. At least not in the sense that word is usually used.

Some of the Russians realize that, as we've heard from some captured and/or surrendered. Others are not as perceptive.

[Bedlam]

I don't think you need to especially 'evil' in some way to do evil things.

Any action that any human has done, however good or evil can be done by any other human, given the right situation.

Never think you couldn't do anything evil because you aren't evil, just being human is enough.

[Ralin]

The short version is "evil people do evil things".

A more nuanced version is that the Russians were told there were Nazis doing horrible things to their Ukrainian brothers and some uneducated, deliberately kept misinformed people are doing horrible things to ferret out these horrible Nazis and to get them to confess their crimes, either unaware or not caring that there are, in fact, no Nazis. At least not in the sense that word is usually used.

Some of the Russians realize that, as we've heard from some captured and/or surrendered. Others are not as perceptive.

And the Russian military does not have a reputation for strict professionalism and treating defeated enemies or conquered populations well at the best of times. Most of the optimism I heard there was that they'd treat Slavs who they more or less considered fellow Russians better than the norm.

[wautd]

Most of the world can not afford to let Ukraine lose.

The nations of the world are going to keep putting money, material, and soldiers into the Ukraine.

Eventually, Russia should grin itself out. And then Putin will probably be removed.

Really, it's the only scenario that can be allowed to happen. Otherwise, Putin will probably be emboldened, and start trying to annex all the former Warsaw Pact territories, and anywhere Russia might have a 'historical claim' to.

And the thing is Alaska is one of those places Russia has a "historical claim" to, and you can bet that apart from maybe Trump no US president is stupid enough to just give a state to another country.

Also you can bet that once Russia has reach its historical borders they manufacture claim to the rest of the planet or simply use some drunken boast a Czar once made or something like that to justify a claim.

The idea that Putin would stop his conquest at any point out of his free will is naive at best.

Would be fun if Mongolia made a historical claim on Russia.

Regarding the successful Ukraine offensive in the north, apart from the massive territorial gains, the Russians also left behind a massive amount of working tanks and other combat vehicles behind in their rout. With Ukraine being limited in material rather than manpower, the importance of this can't be underestimated.
Also, hearing the Russian equivalent of Comical Ali trying to spin this as a successful Russian redeployment was hilarious

[LadyTevar]

I don't think you need to especially 'evil' in some way to do evil things.

Any action that any human has done, however good or evil can be done by any other human, given the right situation.

Never think you couldn't do anything evil because you aren't evil, just being human is enough.

“There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.”

― Terry Pratchett, Small Gods

[LadyTevar]

Regarding the successful Ukraine offensive in the north, apart from the massive territorial gains, the Russians also left behind a massive amount of working tanks and other combat vehicles behind in their rout. With Ukraine being limited in material rather than manpower, the importance of this can't be underestimated.
Also, hearing the Russian equivalent of Comical Ali trying to spin this as a successful Russian redeployment was hilarious

I've seen photos of the Russian T-90M that was captured.
Now, I know very little about the inside of tanks, but the equipment looked like something from the 80s, all boxy and bulky. There was a photo of what I assume was the cannon control, and it was literally Up-Down-Left-Right ARROWS on a touchpad. It just seemed too ... primitive ... for something that's supposed to be SOTA.

[ray245]

Regarding the successful Ukraine offensive in the north, apart from the massive territorial gains, the Russians also left behind a massive amount of working tanks and other combat vehicles behind in their rout. With Ukraine being limited in material rather than manpower, the importance of this can't be underestimated.
Also, hearing the Russian equivalent of Comical Ali trying to spin this as a successful Russian redeployment was hilarious

I've seen photos of the Russian T-90M that was captured.
Now, I know very little about the inside of tanks, but the equipment looked like something from the 80s, all boxy and bulky. There was a photo of what I assume was the cannon control, and it was literally Up-Down-Left-Right ARROWS on a touchpad. It just seemed too ... primitive ... for something that's supposed to be SOTA.

Military hardware are often not as advanced as civilian stuff because they are designed to be more rugged. In theory anyway.

Even some of the latest US hardware aren't as advanced as civilian stuff nowadays.

[Captain Seafort]

It's less a case of "not as advanced" and more "KISS principle". As the main site points out repeatedly, just because SW uses big solid buttons, steering wheels, joysticks, etc, does not mean it's less advanced than TNG's touchscreens. The same applies to real world.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

I've heard that about sniper rifles- the ones used by law enforcement supposedly outperform military ones because the latter ones have to operate in all sorts of conditions on the battlefield that the former ones don't. I was surprised that unlike with binoculars or telescopes, you don't have your eye pressed up against the eyepiece when looking through the scope.

[Captain Seafort]

I was surprised that unlike with binoculars or telescopes, you don't have your eye pressed up against the eyepiece when looking through the scope.

It's one of those things that's surprising at first glance, but obvious when you think the whole thing through - when you pull the trigger the weapon will recoil violently, especially a sniper rifle given that they tend to use more powerful rounds. When that happens, you don't want your eye anywhere near it.

[Lord Revan]

Regarding the successful Ukraine offensive in the north, apart from the massive territorial gains, the Russians also left behind a massive amount of working tanks and other combat vehicles behind in their rout. With Ukraine being limited in material rather than manpower, the importance of this can't be underestimated.
Also, hearing the Russian equivalent of Comical Ali trying to spin this as a successful Russian redeployment was hilarious

I've seen photos of the Russian T-90M that was captured.
Now, I know very little about the inside of tanks, but the equipment looked like something from the 80s, all boxy and bulky. There was a photo of what I assume was the cannon control, and it was literally Up-Down-Left-Right ARROWS on a touchpad. It just seemed too ... primitive ... for something that's supposed to be SOTA.

In addition to what others have there's only the tendency for "if it works don't replace it" in Militaries, I mean the M2 Browning HMG USA uses was designed during World War I (too late to actually be deployed but still) and it's still in service.

That's why military gear tends to look more primitive, it has to work always and in sub-optimal conditions so designs that have been proven to work are favored over things that look fancy.

[Ralin]

Military hardware are often not as advanced as civilian stuff because they are designed to be more rugged. In theory anyway.

Even some of the latest US hardware aren't as advanced as civilian stuff nowadays.

Somewhat compensated for by their electronics often being more specialized. As I understand it.

It's one of those things that's surprising at first glance, but obvious when you think the whole thing through - when you pull the trigger the weapon will recoil violently, especially a sniper rifle given that they tend to use more powerful rounds. When that happens, you don't want your eye anywhere near it.

So how exactly is it set up so that putting your eye up against it is unnecessary?

[Crazedwraith]

It's one of those things that's surprising at first glance, but obvious when you think the whole thing through - when you pull the trigger the weapon will recoil violently, especially a sniper rifle given that they tend to use more powerful rounds. When that happens, you don't want your eye anywhere near it.

So how exactly is it set up so that putting your eye up against it is unnecessary?

It's do with eye relief, i.e where the scope's lenses focus the image so it can be seen clearly. That can be right next to the rear lens or it can be further off. That's why you can have scopes on pistols that can been seen through when held in a normal firing stance or a scout rifle where the scope is mounted very far forward (to give access top loading a magazine with stripper clips.)

[Broomstick]

I don't think you need to especially 'evil' in some way to do evil things.

Any action that any human has done, however good or evil can be done by any other human, given the right situation.

Never think you couldn't do anything evil because you aren't evil, just being human is enough.

Nonetheless, some people are more prone to objectionable acts than others. Some systems are more prone to producing such individuals.

[PainRack]

It's less a case of "not as advanced" and more "KISS principle". As the main site points out repeatedly, just because SW uses big solid buttons, steering wheels, joysticks, etc, does not mean it's less advanced than TNG's touchscreens. The same applies to real world.

Yeah
But studies on MMI had advanced how we design planes/tanks. Star Trek everything touchscreen and force field shovel doesn't apply here.

Digital display panels are now the norm because of just how much info is now available and useful to a crew. The T90 here only has the display panel for the commander, not the driver.

Just look at your car and see how digital displays allow you to flip cameras and do parking/safely etc.

[Zwinmar]

--snip--

Didn't see that, and it is depressing.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Four separatist-controlled Ukraine regions to vote on whether to join Russia.

Separatist leaders in four Moscow-controlled areas of Ukraine say they are planning to hold votes on whether to join Russia.

Referendums will be held in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions this week.

Ukrainian officials described the referendums - which are widely expected to go Russian President Vladimir Putin's way - as a "sham."

Meanwhile, the White House has labelled the developments as a "direct violation of Ukraine's sovereignty".

The announcement of the balloting, which is slated to begin on Friday, emerged after a close Putin ally said that they were needed.

During a trip to New York for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, described the referenda as an "act of desperation by Russia".

Speaking to ITV News Mr Kuleba added that Russia does "not deserve" a seat on the UN Security Council, though he accepted the possibility of revoking its membership is not straightforward.

"They [Russia] illegally took the seat in the UN Security Council as a permanent member and definitely they do not deserve to be there by any accounts. But it's doesn't work this way - we [can't] just kick them out," he said.

US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Washington will "never recognise Russia's claims" if the referenda take place.

He said: "These referenda are an affront to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that underpin the international system and that lie at the heart of the United Nations charter.

"We know that these referenda will be manipulated. We know that Russia will use these sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories, either now or in the future."

Announcing the ballots, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said folding Luhansk and Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, into Russia itself would make the territories' redrawn frontiers “irreversible” and enable Moscow to use “any means” to defend them.

The votes are unlikely to be recognised by other Western governments, who are backing Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's counteroffensive with military and other support. The military aid has helped his forces seize momentum on battlefields in the east and south.

Speaking in New York, where he is also attending the extraordinary UN summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “It is very, very clear that these sham referendums cannot be accepted.”

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called for more sanctions against Russia and more weapons for Ukraine, tweeting: “We must say no to Russian blackmail.”

In Donetsk, part of Ukraine's wider Donbas region which has been gripped by rebel fighting since 2014, separatist leader Denis Pushilin said the vote will “restore historic justice" to the territory's “long-suffering people."

He said the region's population “have earned the right to be part of the great country that they always considered their motherland".

Elsewhere, in partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, pro-Russia activist Vladimir Rogov said: “The faster we become part of Russia, the sooner peace will come.”

Pressure inside Russia for votes and from Moscow-backed leaders in Ukrainian regions which it controls increased after a Ukrainian counteroffensive - bolstered by Western supplied weaponry - recaptured large areas.

Russia's Kremlin controlled lower house of parliament has approved legislation which toughens the punishment for soldiers breaching their duties.

Russia using North Korean equipment as military suffer losses, MoD says
In an apparent effort to boost discipline within its ranks, the set of amendments to Russia’s Criminal Code was endorsed on Tuesday, in the State Duma.

The legislation introduces severe punishments for failure to follow orders, desertion or surrendering to the enemy.

It needs the upper house’s approval and then to be signed by Putin to become law.

Under the legislation, deserting the military during a period of mobilisation or martial law would be punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Harrowing pictures have emerged from a forest, outside the recaptured village of Izium over the past week, as Ukrainian officials claimed to have discovered torture victims in mass graves.

The governor of the Kharkiv region has claimed that the bodies of two children are among those recovered from hundreds of graves, in the wake of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the area.

Forensic experts who have exhumed the bodies of 146 people say many appear to be civilians, and that some bear the signs of a "violent death".
Yevhenii Yenin, a deputy minister in Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry, told a national telecast the bodies revealed evidence of torture.

“These are broken ribs and broken heads, men with bound hands, broken jaws and severed genitalia,” he said.

[Lictuel]

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-717706

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization in Russia during a pre-recorded speech on Wednesday. The mobilization will begin immediately.

Only reservists will be called up, with a focus on those with experience, said Putin. The president added that militants in the Luhansk and Donbass Peoples Republics will be considered as soldiers of the Russian Federation going forward.

Nuclear winds
Putin referred to the Ukrainian government as a "neo-Nazi" regime and claimed that Western countries had "crossed every line" and tried to "blackmail" Russia with nuclear weapons.

"We are talking not only about the shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is encouraged by the West, which threatens a nuclear catastrophe, but also about the statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states about the possibility and admissibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia - nuclear weapons," said Putin.

"To those who allow themselves to make such statements about Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for some components more modern than those of the NATO countries. And if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. It's not a bluff."

"Those who are trying to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind can turn in their direction," warned the Russian president, adding that Russia will use "all available means."
Putin claimed that the West is trying to "weaken and destroy Russia," adding that "When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff."

Annexation of Ukrainian territories
"After the Kyiv regime publicly renounced a peaceful solution to the Donbas problem and announced its claims to nuclear weapons, it became clear that a new offensive was inevitable. And then there would be an attack on the Crimea - on Russia," said the Russian president.

Putin additionally stressed that Russia would "support the decision of the residents of" Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donbass and Luhansk, referencing a referendum expected to be held to annex the Ukrainian regions to Russia. Zaporizhzhia was not mentioned in earlier announcements about the referendum.

"We cannot, we have no moral right to hand over people close to us to be torn to pieces by executioners, we cannot but respond to their sincere desire to determine their own fate, the parliaments of the People's Republics of Donbass, as well as the military-civilian administrations of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, decided to hold referendums on the future of these territories and turned to us, to Russia, with a request to support such a step," said Putin.

Putin additionally claimed that Kyiv originally reacted positively to Russia's demands during talks in Istanbul, but that the West had given Ukraine a "direct order to disrupt all agreements."

Russian Defense Minister: 5,937 Russian soldiers dead
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also spoke during the address, updating that 5,937 Russian soldiers have been killed in the invasion of Ukraine.

According to the defense minister, a total of 300,000 soldiers will be called up during the partial mobilization. Shoigu estimated that there are about 25 million Russians in the country who could be called up if needed, but stressed that students would not be subject to the mobilization and that conscripts would not be sent to the war in Ukraine.

"Russia is fighting not so much with the Ukrainian army as with the collective West," said Shoigu, adding that "The entire NATO satellite constellation is working against the Russian Federation in Ukraine" and that "Western command sits in Kyiv and directs the military operation in Ukraine."

Shoigu added that the partial mobilization was being declared primarily to secure the Ukrainian territories held by Russia and the line of contact.

The Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Rashid Nurgaliyev and Deputy State Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Neverovsky held security consultations in Moscow on Wednesday, according to RIA Novosti.

West responds to mobilization
British foreign office minister Gillian Keegan called the announcement a "worrying escalation" by Russian in a comment to Sky News, adding that Putin's threats should be taken "seriously."

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also responded to Putin's address, stating "President Putin's breaking of his own promises not to mobilize parts of his population and the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine, are an admission that his invasion if failing. He and his defense minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill equipped and badly led. No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah."

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink rejected Putin's announcement on Wednesday, tweeting "Sham referenda and mobilization are signs of weakness, of Russian failure. The United States will never recognize Russia's claim to purportedly annexed Ukrainian territory, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

And now they announced a partial military mobilization.

[madd0c0t0r2]

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-717706

West responds to mobilization
British foreign office minister Gillian Keegan called the announcement a "worrying escalation" by Russian in a comment to Sky News, adding that Putin's threats should be taken "seriously."

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also responded to Putin's address, stating "President Putin's breaking of his own promises not to mobilize parts of his population and the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine, are an admission that his invasion if failing. He and his defense minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill equipped and badly led. No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah."

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink rejected Putin's announcement on Wednesday, tweeting "Sham referenda and mobilization are signs of weakness, of Russian failure. The United States will never recognize Russia's claim to purportedly annexed Ukrainian territory, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

And now they announced a partial military mobilization.

If you are worried about unrest at home, scooping up a lot of people into the military is one tactic I supoose.

[Zaune]

If you are worried about unrest at home, scooping up a lot of people into the military is one tactic I supoose.

Albeit one that has the potential to backfire, because if a critical mass of those people are sufficiently displeased with Putin's regime then he's just saved them the job of storming the armouries.

[madd0c0t0r2]

If you are worried about unrest at home, scooping up a lot of people into the military is one tactic I supoose.

Albeit one that has the potential to backfire, because if a critical mass of those people are sufficiently displeased with Putin's regime then he's just saved them the job of storming the armouries.

Well, I'm kinda assuming the people they scoop up are a bit more in favour of the regime, and then their familes ect are then emotional hostages, can't rebel as easily when the soldier sent in to break up a protest might be blood relatives. You might hate Putin, but would you kill your uncle over it? Likewise, the armouries are now emptied and placed in the hands of more loyal people, rather than then young and angry brigade.

But I may be overthinking it. It might just be a quick intake to replace garrisons across Russia and remote area disaster crews, let the Russian army throw more experienced troops into Ukraine.

Crimea is still in Russian hands, but it's within long range fire of Ukraine forces now, so the subs have been relocated and this really hampers the idea of crimea as a port for a fleet. I'm not really sure why though, the south battlefront has only moved a few km
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/2 ... marines-uk


from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/2 ... ing-russia

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Best thing everyone does is ignore Putin's pathetic attempt to legitimise his invasion with those so-called votes. It didn't work with Crimea and it won't work now.

[wautd]

Best thing everyone does is ignore Putin's pathetic attempt to legitimise his invasion with those so-called votes. It didn't work with Crimea and it won't work now.

The Netherlands has a pretty strong case in organizing a referendum in Russia to make Russia a Dutch province

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNdarZYz73o&t=2s

[bilateralrope]

‘I will cross the border tonight’: Russians flee after news of draft

Border guards cite ‘exceptional’ number of people leaving the country after ‘partial mobilisation’ announcement

Hours after Vladimir Putin shocked Russia by announcing the first mobilisation since the second world war, Oleg received his draft papers in the mailbox, ordering him to make his way to the local recruitment centre in Kazan, the capital of the ​​Tatarstan republic.

As a 29-year-old sergeant in the Russian reserves, Oleg said he always knew that he would be the first in line if a mobilisation was declared, but held out hope that he would not be forced to fight in the war in Ukraine.

“My heart sank when I got the call-up,” he said. “But I knew I had no time to despair.”

He quickly packed all his belongings and booked a one-way ticket to Orenburg, a southern Russian city close to the border with Kazakhstan.

“I will be driving across the border tonight,” he said in a telephone interview on Thursday from the airport in Orenburg. “I have no idea when I’ll step foot in Russia again,” he added, referring to the jail sentence Russian men face for avoiding the draft.

Oleg said he will leave behind his wife, who is due to give birth next week. “I will miss the most important day of my life. But I am simply not letting Putin turn me into a killer in a war that I want no part in.”

The Kremlin’s decision to announce a partial mobilisation has led to a rush among men of military age to leave the country, likely sparking a new, possibly unprecedented brain drain in the coming days and weeks.

The Guardian spoke to over a dozen men and women who had left Russia since Putin announced the so-called partial mobilisation, or who are planning to do so in the next few days.

Options to flee are limited, they say. Earlier this week, four of the five EU countries bordering Russia announced they would no longer allow Russians to enter on tourist visas.

Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Yerevan, Tashkent and Baku, the capitals of countries allowing Russians visa-free entry, were sold out for the next week, while the cheapest one-way flight from Moscow to Dubai cost about 370,000 rubles (£5,000) – a fee too steep for most.

And so many, like Oleg, were forced to get creative and drive to some of the few land borders still open to Russians.

Border guards in Finland, the last EU country that still allows entry to Russians with tourist visas, said that they have noticed an “exceptional number” of Russian nationals seeking to cross the border overnight, while eyewitnesses also said the Russian-Georgian and Russian-Mongolian borders were “collapsing” with overwhelming traffic.

“We are seeing an even bigger exodus than when the war started,” said Ira Lobanovskaya, who started the “Guide to the free World” NGO, which helps Russians against the war leave the country.

She said her website had received over one and half million visits since Putin’s speech on Wednesday. According to Lobanovkaya’s estimates, over 70,000 Russians that used the group’s services have already left or made concrete plans to leave.

“These are people who are buying one-way tickets. They won’t be coming back as long as mobilisation is ongoing,” she said.

Many of those who are still in Russia will feel that time is running out. At least three regions have already announced they will close their borders to men eligible for the draft.

Border agents at Russian airports have also reportedly started interrogating departing male passengers about their military service status and checking return tickets.

After thousands of Russians rallied against the war and mobilisation on Wednesday, some took to social media to criticise protesters for not speaking out earlier, when their country’s troops were committing human rights abuses in Bucha, Irpin and countless of other towns across Ukraine.

“I understand people’s frustration,” said Igor, a 26-year-old IT professional from St Petersburg, who is planning to fly to Vladikavkaz and drive to Georgia, another popular fleeing route used by Russians, next week. “I attended the anti-war protest when Putin launched his invasion, but the authorities just jail everyone.”

Some of the protesters detained in Moscow have subsequently been given draft notices while locked up, according to the monitoring group OVD, further underlying the dangers average Russians face when taking to the streets.

“I think the only way I can personally help Ukraine right now is by not fighting there,” Igor said.

There have also been calls for the EU to support Russians who are looking for a way out of the draft.

The EU Commission spokesperson on home affairs, Anitta Hipper, said that the bloc would meet to discuss the issuance of humanitarian visas to Russians fleeing mobilisation. The three Baltic states said on Thursday, however, that they are not prepared to automatically offer asylum to Russians fleeing the draft.

Even those without any military experience – men who Putin vowed not to call up – are packing their bags.

They point to the ambiguity of Putin’s mobilisation law and point to previous broken promises that he would not call for one.

“Putin lied that there will be no mobilisation,” said 23-year-old Anton, a student in Moscow, referring to the president’s International Women’s Day address on 8 March, when he insisted that no reservists would be called up to fight in Ukraine. “Why would he not lie again about this partial mobilisation?”

Fears have grown after independent website Novaya Gazeta Europe reported, based on its government sources, that the mobilistation decrees allow the Ministry of Defence to call up 1,000,000 people, instead of the 300,000 announced by the country’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, on Wednesday.

For now, Lobanovskaya said, the majority of Russians leaving are men.

The Guardian also spoke to a number of women, mostly medics, who similarly decided to leave the country after reports started to trickle out that Russia was calling up health professionals to the front.

“I know medics are supposed to treat people, that is our duty,” said Tatayana, a doctor from Irkutsk, who bought a plane ticket to Baku for next week. “But I believe the sooner this horrible war stops, the fewer people will die.”

The mobilisation also appears to have spooked some of the very people on whom the regime relies to sustain its war efforts.

“For me, mobilisation is the red line,” said Ilya, 29, a mid-level official working for the Moscow government. “Tomorrow I will be in Kazakhstan.”

One man, the son of a west-sanctioned oligarch due to come back to Russia after his studies abroad to work for his family business, said he no longer planned to do so.

“Well, one thing is clear,” he said, in a brief interview by text message. “I won’t be coming back to Russia anytime soon.”

That's going to make it harder to mobilize more troops.

[wautd]

‘I will cross the border tonight’: Russians flee after news of draft

Border guards cite ‘exceptional’ number of people leaving the country after ‘partial mobilisation’ announcement

Hours after Vladimir Putin shocked Russia by announcing the first mobilisation since the second world war, Oleg received his draft papers in the mailbox, ordering him to make his way to the local recruitment centre in Kazan, the capital of the ​​Tatarstan republic.

As a 29-year-old sergeant in the Russian reserves, Oleg said he always knew that he would be the first in line if a mobilisation was declared, but held out hope that he would not be forced to fight in the war in Ukraine.

“My heart sank when I got the call-up,” he said. “But I knew I had no time to despair.”

He quickly packed all his belongings and booked a one-way ticket to Orenburg, a southern Russian city close to the border with Kazakhstan.

“I will be driving across the border tonight,” he said in a telephone interview on Thursday from the airport in Orenburg. “I have no idea when I’ll step foot in Russia again,” he added, referring to the jail sentence Russian men face for avoiding the draft.

Oleg said he will leave behind his wife, who is due to give birth next week. “I will miss the most important day of my life. But I am simply not letting Putin turn me into a killer in a war that I want no part in.”

The Kremlin’s decision to announce a partial mobilisation has led to a rush among men of military age to leave the country, likely sparking a new, possibly unprecedented brain drain in the coming days and weeks.

The Guardian spoke to over a dozen men and women who had left Russia since Putin announced the so-called partial mobilisation, or who are planning to do so in the next few days.

Options to flee are limited, they say. Earlier this week, four of the five EU countries bordering Russia announced they would no longer allow Russians to enter on tourist visas.

Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Yerevan, Tashkent and Baku, the capitals of countries allowing Russians visa-free entry, were sold out for the next week, while the cheapest one-way flight from Moscow to Dubai cost about 370,000 rubles (£5,000) – a fee too steep for most.

And so many, like Oleg, were forced to get creative and drive to some of the few land borders still open to Russians.

Border guards in Finland, the last EU country that still allows entry to Russians with tourist visas, said that they have noticed an “exceptional number” of Russian nationals seeking to cross the border overnight, while eyewitnesses also said the Russian-Georgian and Russian-Mongolian borders were “collapsing” with overwhelming traffic.

“We are seeing an even bigger exodus than when the war started,” said Ira Lobanovskaya, who started the “Guide to the free World” NGO, which helps Russians against the war leave the country.

She said her website had received over one and half million visits since Putin’s speech on Wednesday. According to Lobanovkaya’s estimates, over 70,000 Russians that used the group’s services have already left or made concrete plans to leave.

“These are people who are buying one-way tickets. They won’t be coming back as long as mobilisation is ongoing,” she said.

Many of those who are still in Russia will feel that time is running out. At least three regions have already announced they will close their borders to men eligible for the draft.

Border agents at Russian airports have also reportedly started interrogating departing male passengers about their military service status and checking return tickets.

After thousands of Russians rallied against the war and mobilisation on Wednesday, some took to social media to criticise protesters for not speaking out earlier, when their country’s troops were committing human rights abuses in Bucha, Irpin and countless of other towns across Ukraine.

“I understand people’s frustration,” said Igor, a 26-year-old IT professional from St Petersburg, who is planning to fly to Vladikavkaz and drive to Georgia, another popular fleeing route used by Russians, next week. “I attended the anti-war protest when Putin launched his invasion, but the authorities just jail everyone.”

Some of the protesters detained in Moscow have subsequently been given draft notices while locked up, according to the monitoring group OVD, further underlying the dangers average Russians face when taking to the streets.

“I think the only way I can personally help Ukraine right now is by not fighting there,” Igor said.

There have also been calls for the EU to support Russians who are looking for a way out of the draft.

The EU Commission spokesperson on home affairs, Anitta Hipper, said that the bloc would meet to discuss the issuance of humanitarian visas to Russians fleeing mobilisation. The three Baltic states said on Thursday, however, that they are not prepared to automatically offer asylum to Russians fleeing the draft.

Even those without any military experience – men who Putin vowed not to call up – are packing their bags.

They point to the ambiguity of Putin’s mobilisation law and point to previous broken promises that he would not call for one.

“Putin lied that there will be no mobilisation,” said 23-year-old Anton, a student in Moscow, referring to the president’s International Women’s Day address on 8 March, when he insisted that no reservists would be called up to fight in Ukraine. “Why would he not lie again about this partial mobilisation?”

Fears have grown after independent website Novaya Gazeta Europe reported, based on its government sources, that the mobilistation decrees allow the Ministry of Defence to call up 1,000,000 people, instead of the 300,000 announced by the country’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, on Wednesday.

For now, Lobanovskaya said, the majority of Russians leaving are men.

The Guardian also spoke to a number of women, mostly medics, who similarly decided to leave the country after reports started to trickle out that Russia was calling up health professionals to the front.

“I know medics are supposed to treat people, that is our duty,” said Tatayana, a doctor from Irkutsk, who bought a plane ticket to Baku for next week. “But I believe the sooner this horrible war stops, the fewer people will die.”

The mobilisation also appears to have spooked some of the very people on whom the regime relies to sustain its war efforts.

“For me, mobilisation is the red line,” said Ilya, 29, a mid-level official working for the Moscow government. “Tomorrow I will be in Kazakhstan.”

One man, the son of a west-sanctioned oligarch due to come back to Russia after his studies abroad to work for his family business, said he no longer planned to do so.

“Well, one thing is clear,” he said, in a brief interview by text message. “I won’t be coming back to Russia anytime soon.”

That's going to make it harder to mobilize more troops.

They can conscript people in the Donbas by force after the fake referendum