In the shadow of the extensive recruitment in Russia, the president of Ukraine promised to protect Russian soldiers who surrender voluntarily. Zelensky said that they “will be treated in accordance with all agreements” and that “they will not announce that the soldier surrendered voluntarily.” Meanwhile, thousands of Russians are trying to escape the country as long as they can
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russians recruited as part of the forced conscription not to join the invasion force in Ukraine. “It is better not to take a draft letter than to die in a foreign land as a war criminal,” he said during a speech before Rosh Hashanah. Zelensky also pledged to protect Russian soldiers who surrender voluntarily, saying that they “will be treated in accordance with all conventions” and that “it will not be announced that the soldier surrendered voluntarily.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed an amendment to the criminal law to extend the prison term for those found to have voluntarily surrendered to the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian president also attacked the “recruitment of Russia’s criminals”, saying: “Russian commanders do not care about Russian lives – they only need to fill the empty spaces left by the dead, the wounded, those who escaped or the Russian soldiers who were captured.”
Meanwhile, thousands of Russians are trying to flee the country as long as they can, for fear of being called up and sent to fight in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that only 300,000 men under the age of 55 with previous military experience are being recruited. However, Russian media reported cases where older people and men without military training were also summoned. Media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe even reported government plans to recruit up to a million men to serve in the armed forces, a claim the Kremlin denied.
“I’m not really afraid; they can catch anyone, if they really want to,” said 28-year-old Mikhail Biankin. A warehouse worker from the city of Cherpovets, north of Moscow, he told German broadcaster DW that he would refuse to fight because he did not understand the purpose of Russia’s so-called “special military operation”.
“They talk about some kind of sense of duty, but what kind of duty is this? I would understand if our country was attacked, but we are attacking our neighbor,” he said.
Many Russians share Bayinkin’s opinion and decided to leave the country – fast. Those without travel visas travel to neighboring Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Locals shared reports on social media of miles-long queues of cars at various border crossings. Those who have money fly out of the country, towards the United Arab Emirates or Turkey. Many also make their way to Serbia and Finland.