Ukraine war: Russians flee to border after military call-up

Many young Russian men are attempting to leave the country to avoid a military call-up for the Ukraine war. 

Queues have formed at border crossings since Russian president Putin announced a partial military mobilisation on Wednesday. The announcement could see 300,000 people called upon to join the war.  

The Kremlin says reports of fighting-age men fleeing the country are exaggerated. But miles-long queues of vehicles have formed near the border, some of them are using bikes to bypass the lines of cars and evade a ban on crossing on foot. 

Georgia is one of the few neighbouring countries that Russians can enter without needing to apply for a visa. Finland, does require a visa for travel but reported an increase in traffic overnight, but said it remained manageable. 

Other destinations that are reachable by air – Istanbul, Belgrade and Dubai – have seen ticket prices skyrocket immediately after Putin’s call up with some destinations selling out completely. Turkish media reported a large rise in one-way ticket sales.

Germany signalled on Thursday that Russians fleeing the draft would be welcome in the country. 

But Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic said they would not offer fleeing Russians refuge.