Military-aged men fled Russia in droves Friday, filling planes and causing traffic jams at border crossings to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine following the Kremlin's partial military mobilization.
Queues stretching for 10 kilometres formed on a road leading to the southern border with Georgia, according to Yandex Maps, a Russian online map service.
“I'm against this war, and I'm not going to be a part of it. I'm not going to be a murderer. I'm not going to kill people,” said the man, who identified himself only as Yevgeny to avoid potential retribution against his family left behind in Russia.Yevgeny decided to flee after Putin announced a partial military call-up on Wednesday. The total number of reservists involved could be as high as 300,000.
“Those who bravely stand up to Putin's regime and thereby put themselves in great danger can apply for asylum in Germany on the grounds of political persecution,” the spokesman for German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. Four out of five EU countries that border Russia - Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland - also recently decided to turn away Russian tourists.