Kremlin says no decision to seal Russia’s borders amid chaos
The Kremlin says no decision has been taken on whether to seal Russia’s borders to stop an exodus of military-aged men fleeing the country after days of chaotic scenes during partial mobilization for its war in Ukraine.
Asked on Monday about the prospect of the border being shut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “I don’t know anything about this. At the moment, no decisions have been taken on this.”
Reports that Russia might close the frontier have contributed to turmoil since President Vladimir Putin gave the order last week to call up hundreds of thousands of reservists in the biggest escalation yet of the seven-month Ukraine war.
Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have piled up at border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-Western neighbor that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.
“Panic. All the people I know are in panic,” said David, a Russian who gave only his first name out of fear of reprisals, in an interview with The Associated Press news agency at a border crossing with Georgia. “We are running from the regime that kills people.”
Long lines of cars were also seen on roads to border crossings with Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
“Everyone who is of conscription age should be banned from travelling abroad in the current situation,” Sergei Tsekov, a senior lawmaker who represents Russian-annexed Crimea in Russia’s upper house of parliament, told the RIA Novosti news agency.
Two exiled news sites – Meduza and Novaya Gazeta Europe – both reported that the authorities were planning to ban men from leaving, citing unidentified officials.
Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Moscow, said there is widespread confusion and anger in Russia over the Kremlin’s push to enlist reservists.
“Many people don’t understand what is going on – who should go and who shouldn’t go,” Vall said, adding that anti-conscription protests had been staged across the country in recent days.
“It’s a complicated situation. Russia hasn’t announced such mobilisation since World War II and there is little experience in doing this, both on the part of the government and on the part of the people,” he added.
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