Russia’s defense ministry has detailed which of is fortunate citizens will be able to evade Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest order to deploy conscripts to fight in his war in Ukraine.
Tech workers, bankers and journalists working for state media will be able to avoid Putin’s “partial mobilization” the Kremlin chief announced Friday, according to state owned media outlet TASS.
Since Wednesday, images have surfaced on social media depicting airports flooded with men while Russian borders grapple with traffic jams as an exodus of fighting age males flee the country.
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All Russia men ages 18 to 27 are required to do a year’s military service.
Certain stipulations like higher education and health factors have previously enabled some to forgo joining the ranks, though it remains unclear if these conditions will continue to protect these male populations as Putin looks to push more men into the war in Ukraine.
Some 300,000 men are expected to be instated into active military service and shipped off the front lines following Putin’s declaration this week.
The defense ministry on Friday said all companies with men who fit the latest exemption status must compile a list and submit it to authorities.
Some have argued that Putin’s decree calling up conscripts was left ominously vague and could allow him to draft more men to Russia’s fighting force in Ukraine should he need to.
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One clause in the mobilization decree was entirely redacted and Russian officials have refused to detail what the missing seventh paragraph alluded to, citing security reasons.
Russia has allegedly lost a significant number of its troops in the seven-month-long war with Ukraine claiming that while Kyiv has lost over 9,000 men Moscow has lost more than 50,000. These figures have not been independently verified.
The addition of men in its armed forces comes as Ukrainian troops advance across the northeastern regions of Kharkiv and into Donetsk, where occupying regional authorities Friday launched a vote on annexation.
Three other regions including Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson also saw referendums initiated Friday where Ukrainian citizens allegedly cast their vote in support for or against joining the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian regional officials have claimed Russia is also looking to draft any capable men it can find in occupied areas to fight for Russia against Ukraine.
