Earlier this month, Russians began to flee the country in a mass exodus amid Vladimir Putin’s dismal war in Ukraine. And seven months ago, he drop-shipped his first batch of troops without telling them why they were fighting, and Ukraine’s pushback has been immense (and successful) in recent weeks. All the while, Russian soldiers have been resisting while threatening to blow up a commander and doing anything, including grievously injuring themselves and hiding out in disguise, to escape the conflict.
Putin recruited from prisons for awhile, but now, he’s growing truly desperate. As The Atlantic points out, his Wednesday morning Kremlin speech shows off how the leader has grown erratic and is making harsh moves. He made noises about using nukes, and Putin decided to call up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine. That’s a lot of bodies, even when one considers that (in 2020) Russia’s population stood at 144 million. Now, Russians are fearful for solid reason, and they’re attempting to flee on one-way flights.
As Reuters reports, the price of these flights skyrocketed upon Putin’s speech, and they’re nearly sold out because no one knows whether males who are considered to be of “fighting age” will have another chance to leave. That’s particularly scary since half of Putin’s army lost their lives by late July in Ukraine. Via Reuters, there’s Putin-fueled chaos now running amuck:
“Reports of panic spreading among Russians soon flooded social networks. Anti-war groups said the limited airplane tickets out of Russia reached enormous prices due to high demand and swiftly became unavailable.
Some postings alleged people already had been turned back from Russia’s land border with Georgia and that the website of the state Russian railway company collapsed because too many people were checking for ways out of the country.
Social networks in Russian also surged with advice on how to avoid the mobilization or leave the country.”
It’s hard to imagine what life must be like over there, long after the war’s early days saw trivial stories about McDonald’s alternatives being a concern. These days, Russians must feel like their very lives are on the line and not of much value to a leader who’s chasing silly imperialistic dreams to build a legacy. Unfortunately, that legacy was already a mess due to world leaders laughing at Putin’s shirtless horseback photos and an endless Botox supply. Now, Putin’s regime is one of death, and Russians are largely having none of it.
(Via Reuters)