Russian mobilisation prompts backlash infographic
Graphic shows location of anti-mobilisation protests in Russia and a snapshot of what's happening on Russia's borders.
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UKRAINE

Russian mobilisation prompts backlash

By Jordi Bou

September 27, 2022 - President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilise hundreds of thousands of reservists for the war in Ukraine has triggered widespread protests and prompted a mass exodus of fighting-age Russians.

The call-up of some 300,000 reservists has led to the first sustained protests since the invasion began, with one monitoring group estimating at least 2,000 people have been arrested so far. All public criticism of Russia's “special military operation” is banned.

Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have clogged border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-Western neighbour that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.

In Georgia, the number of Russians arriving has doubled to 10,000 per day from Sep 21. Around 5,500 cars are waiting to cross the border.

In Finland, nearly 17,000 Russians have crossed the border between Sep 24 and Sep 25.

In Kazakhstan, around 98,000 Russians have crossed the border since the draft was announced, and in Mongolia, the arrival of thousands of Russians is piling pressure on the government. The country depends entirely on Russian oil and gas.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 27/09/2022; STORY: Graphic News
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