“So far there are no problems”: can men leave Russia now?
- Amalia Zatari
- BBC
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After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization, the Russians sold out tickets for the next flights to countries that do not require a visa. The Telegram chats dedicated to the departure from Russia are filled with messages asking about the release of men from the country. The Russian service of the BBC spoke with those who were able to leave Russia along the land border. It seems that so far there are no massive problems with leaving the country.
Neither Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke about the ban on leaving Russia for men subject to partial mobilization.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that they could not answer the question of whether the borders protect those who are subject to partial mobilization, and provide clarifications on this issue.
“You know, there are different ones on this score in the proposed ones. Let’s have a little patience.
The head of Rostourism, Zarina Doguzova, said that at this point, no additional restrictions on travel abroad for Russians have been introduced.
“It is necessary to wait for clarifications. We have requested such information,” she wrote on her Telegram channel.
“So far no problems”
After Putin announced a partial mobilization of people in telegram chats dedicated to leaving Russia, they began to be massively interested in whether men were being let out of the country. In the morning, chats were literally filled with built-in messages, but by noon, men began to unsubscribe, who were able to successfully pass the exodus and leave the country.
“We were worried about how we would pass the routes. But there were no problems at the border, there were no queues. In general, small Russia, Georgian – soon,” Alexander told the BBC, who crossed the land road through Russia around noon on September 21. checkpoint Upper Lars in Vladikavkaz and entered Georgia.
According to him, four of them left Russia by car, including two men aged 35 and 29.
As Alexander said, he and his friend are of limited fit for military service, both are located in the reserves (military registration specializations are a paramedic and vehicle repair equipment), but, in his opinion, the Russian border guards were not interested.
“We loaded air transportation for air transportation, but nothing was required. So far, there are no problems,” he said.
According to Alexander, initially the road to Georgia was supposed to be a trip to friends who left there after February 24, but “today everything has changed” and they are “considering different options.”
Valeria (name changed at her request) and her 33-year-old husband were also allowed through Upper Lars to Georgia without any questions. According to her, they crossed the routes at 12:30 p.m., a convenient time.
“Nothing was indicated at all, they passed very quickly, everything took an hour, there are no traffic jams, but I think the situation is changing by the evening,” she said.
According to Valeria, they went with her husband to Georgia on a honeymoon trip and did not plan to leave Russia for good. But after the announcement of partial mobilization, they are no longer sure of this: “Now everything is generally incomprehensible.”
30-year-old Peter (who asked not to use his real name) at the time of the conversation with the BBC, passed through passport control at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg and was waiting for a flight in Istanbul. He bought a ticket for it a long time ago, he told the BBC.
At the border, according to him, no one is interested in whether he is liable for military service and is subject to mobilization.
“They didn’t ask anything at the border, except for the usual questions. The situation at the airport is completely normal, with the exception of isolated cases. One girl intercepted me after checking in and started asking when I was leaving and where. She said that her husband was also flying to Turkey. She looked upset “, he said.
What do the lawyers say?
Lawyers interviewed by the BBC are not completely sure whether the law forbids, in the context of partial mobilization of men, to travel for traffic.
Lawyer Oleksandr Peredruk Based on article 21 of the federal law “On mobilization preparation and mobilization”. It prohibits citizens who are registered with the military, with places of announcement of mobilization to leave their place of residence without military commissariats and federal executive bodies.
“As for all persons who are registered with the military, regardless of whether the issue of a call for mobilization is being considered or not, it is obvious that there will be no restrictions, but the law clearly defines that leaving without special permission is prohibited,” explains Peredruk.
At the same time, lawyer Arseniy Levinson draws attention to the fact that “leaving the place of residence”, as referred to in Article 21 of the law on mobilization, and “leaving Russia” are different legal categories. Under leaving the place of residence in the domestic bandwidth legislation, he is engaged.
Now Article 15 of the Federal Law “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation” states that countries prohibit those who are assigned to military service (in addition to other categories of citizens) from leaving.
“Those who have already been sent to the troops are considered for military verification – that is, those for whom a decision has already been made to send them and who have already passed a medical examination,” Levinson explained to the BBC.
At the moment, there is no law in Russia on leaving the country can be prohibited for those who fall under partial mobilization, but have not yet been appointed, he added.