A lot of Russians have been queuing up to leave the country after President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization 300,000 reservists to join the war in Ukraine.
This mobilization is Russia’s first since World War two and one that has drawn a lot of criticism from leaders all over the world.
In a rare Television address to his nation, Putin declared a ‘partial mobilization’ of his country’s citizens.
He said: “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.”
“Those who are trying to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind patterns can also turn in their direction, the president added – accusing the US and allies of seeking to destroy Russia.
After his address, google recorded a spike in searches like ‘How to leave Russia’ and ‘How to break an arm at home’. Also, there is a traffic jam at the border between Russia and Finland, as many desperate citizens try to flee the country to avoid mobilization.
The queue is reportedly more than 20 miles long and growing by the hour.
Independent journalist, Sotiri Dimpinoudis took to his social media to share first-hand footage of the traffic jam.
He said that the border is the only one still open to Russian civilians with Shengen visas.
Also, the mobilization announcement has led to an anti-mobilization protest by Russians in the city of Tomsk.
The addition of this troops would mean a major escalation of the Russian campaign in Ukraine, even as the Ukrainians are starting to chase Russia out of occupied territories.
