As the Kremlin looks to bolster its fighting forces in Ukraine, units have been dispatched to Russia's borders with orders to serve fleeing young Russian men with military call-up papers, according to The New York Times.
Citing Russian state media, the Times reports that the Federal Security Service sent armored vehicles to Russia's borders Tuesday, where some men were attempting to flee after Russian President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization last week.
Within hours of Putin's call-up announcement, military-age men began to rush to the borders, with the surge increasing since then. The Times reports that the Kremlin denied reports that it may soon ban all eligible men from leaving the country, but many Russians weren't convinced.
At the borders of Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia on Tuesday, the numbers of Russian men continued to rise, creating friction at times.
Responding to calls to close Kazakhstan's 4,600-mile border with Russia, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reportedly said the fleeing Russians had been "forced to leave because of the current hopeless situation," and asked for "humanity, patience, and organization."
Facing wait times of more than 48 hours and with cars lined up for miles, Georgia said it would permit people to enter the country on foot, the Times reports. According to the country's interior minister, the number of people seeking entry nearly doubled in the past week, to approximately 10,000 per day.
In a statement, Russia's Federal Security Service said its forces were deployed at border crossings to ensure that reservists do not leave the country "without completing border formalities."
With his "special military operation" in Ukraine not going to plan, Putin may need all the help he can get.
According to Western estimates, up to 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict, and Russian forces have been forced in recent weeks to concede territory they captured earlier in the war.
Faced with mounting losses, Putin ordered a partial mobilization last week, calling up 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine. According to the Times, the order was supposed to only apply to those with prior military experience, but there were several reports of people with no experience being drafted, especially in more remote areas and among ethnic minorities.
As service-age men fled for the borders, many Russians took to the streets, despite a government crackdown on protests. The chaos has incited an outpouring of unrest, with protests in at least 50 cities, according to independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.