Russia expected to ban men of military age from leaving the country as thousands try to flee Putin's call-up, report says
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Russia is expected to stop men of military age from leaving the country, according to Meduza.
The ban will likely come into effect on September 28, Meduza reported.
Russian men have tried to flee the country since Vladimir Putin announced partial military mobilization.
The Russian government is expected to stop men of military age from leaving the country by closing the borders to them, according to a Meduza report.
Meduza, an independent Russian media outlet based in Riga, Latvia, cited two sources in the Kremlin.
One source, not named in the article, told Meduza that the ban is expected to be introduced on September 28.
Another source, also unnamed, said that the ban would come into effect after the so-called referendums took place in Ukraine's occupied territories. The polls close on the evening of September 27.
In Russia, the minimum age to be drafted into the Russian army is 18. All male citizens aged between 18 and 27 are subject to conscription for one year of active duty. Current laws permit Russian men up to 40 and foreigners up to 30 to serve in the military.
The ban would allow a small number of men of conscription age to leave the country only after procuring "exit visas," Meduza reported. To get these visas, men of military age would have to seek permission from enlistment offices, the media outlet said.
Russian men have tried to flee the country since President Vladimir Putin announced partial military mobilization on September 21.
Insider reported land border crossing saw an increase in traffic, and plane tickets skyrocketed in price or sold out. Google searches for the Russian phrase "how to leave Russia" surged after the declaration.
Options to flee via the border are somewhat limited. Four of the five EU countries bordering Russia said Russians would no longer be allowed to enter on tourist visas, according to The Guardian.
Russia plans to mobilize 300,000 reserves to fight in the war in Ukraine, prioritizing those with combat experience. Putin signed a new decree on Saturday that soldiers who surrender, desert, or refuse to fight can face up to 10 years in prison.
Reports suggest the mobilization is in disarray, and men are being called up who are unsuitable recruits. Insider reported the draft to raise more men to fight in Ukraine included a 63-year-old with diabetes and a 17-year-old boy.
Protests took place across Russia following the decree. At least 820 protesters across 34 different cities in Russia were detained in connection with Saturday's protests, according to independent rights group OVD-Info.
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