Meanwhile, long queues were recorded at the border crossings with Georgia.
“The war is horrible,” said Sergei, a Russian who did not want to give his last name, upon arriving in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. “It’s okay to be afraid of war and death.”
A Russian who only identified himself as Alex testified in Istanbul that he had left Russia in part because of the mobilization.
“The partial mobilization is one of the reasons why I am here,” he said. “It seems like a very poor measure and it can lead to a lot of problems for many Russians.” He said his impression is that not many of his compatriots want to be sent to fight.
Another Russian, who gave his name as Vasili, arrived in Istanbul with his wife, teenage daughter and six suitcases. “The mobilization was inevitable because there was a shortage of human resources. I am not worried because I am already 59 years old and my son lives abroad,” he stated.
Finland
Traffic reaching Finland’s eastern border with Russia “intensified” overnight Wednesday, the Finnish Border Guard said. “The number has clearly increased,” said Finnish Border Guard International Affairs chief Matti Pitkaniitty, adding that the situation was under control.
Traffic from Russia was heavier than normal at the Vaalimaa border crossing, with three lanes of cars each stretching 300-400 meters, a border official previously told Reuters.
A trucker crossed Russia’s border with Kazakhstan yesterday near the Kazakh city of Oral, while unusually heavy traffic was observed from the Russian side. He asked not to be identified, fearing that it might complicate his future travels.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said reports of an exodus of conscript-age men were exaggerated. Asked about reports that men detained at anti-war protests were receiving recruitment papers, he indicated that this is not against the law.
Some 10,000 volunteers showed up to enlist in the military campaign in Ukraine without waiting for call-up papers issued as part of a partial mobilization, the General Staff said.
Reuters Agency
Source: Ambito
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