Russia secretly closes borders to men of mobilization age - ATESH
Photo: Men of mobilization age sent for additional checks (Getty Images)
Hidden restrictions on leaving Russia have begun to emerge for men of mobilization age. Similar measures have already been reported in several major cities, according to the partisan movement Atesh.
"Our agents among border service and airport employees in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg report covert screening of people leaving the country," the movement said.
According to their information, men of mobilization age are being sent for additional checks, causing them to miss their scheduled flights.
This is reportedly happening even to citizens whose documents are in order and who have no official travel restrictions.
The partisans say that while Russian authorities continue to insist that no mobilization is planned, unofficial instructions are already being enforced at border checkpoints.
"According to the information we have received, border guards have been instructed not to turn everyone back, but to remove only a certain percentage of departing passengers from flights. The authorities fear triggering a wave of panic and seek to avoid any publicity," the post said.
In practice, the process reportedly works as follows. Airport employees deliberately delay passengers under standard pretexts, asking about the purpose of their trip, searching personal belongings, or taking an unusually long time to verify tickets.
The person is then kept aside under the guise of a database check. However, once boarding closes, officials return the passenger’s passport and send them home without providing any official documents or explanation.
What else is important to know
As previously reported, The Guardian wrote recently that Russia is facing an increasingly acute shortage of soldiers amid monthly manpower losses of more than 30,000.
At the same time, the Kremlin is trying to avoid a new wave of mobilization by pressuring men to sign military contracts and go to the front.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia is preparing for mobilization and plans to announce it after the State Duma elections in September.
