Russians flee to Finland to escape Putin’s partial military mobilization order amid war

Finland stated on Thursday it was considering barring most Russian nationals from entering the country as traffic across the border from its eastern neighbour "intensified" following President Vladimir Putin's order for a partial military mobilization. Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin stated that the government was assessing risks posed by Russian individuals travelling through her nation, and was considering ways to sharply reduce the transit of such individuals, reported AP.  

"The government's will is very clear, we believe Russian tourism must be stopped, as well as transit through Finland," Marin stated during the press briefing.  

Russians avoiding military call-up  

Long queues have been reported at the border crossings between Russia and Finland since Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization in a televised address to his nation on Wednesday. The announcement came after President Putin passed an executive order the same day that called for 300,000 reservists to march towards the nation’s border with Ukraine. Even though the Kremlin states that the reports of fighting-age men fleeing the military call-up are exaggerated, the on-ground situation at the Finnish border projects otherwise.  

Finland’s border guard tweeted on Thursday stating that on September 21, more than 4,500 Russian citizens arrived on the Finnish border to cross into the country.

Finland and Georgia are among a few countries that offer entry points to Russians into Europe. Moreover, Georgia is one country that Russian nationals can enter without a visa. However, Finland, which shares a 1,300 km border with Russia, does require a visa for travel.   

The Interior Minister of Germany stated on Thursday that Russians fleeing the military draft would be welcome in her country, reported BBC. Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said fleeing Russians threatened by "severe repression" would receive protection on a case-by-case basis, following security checks.  

Russia’s military call-up sparks protests in Moscow  

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated on Wednesday in a televised address that more than 5,900 Russian soldiers had been killed since the onset of the conflict.  

Moreover, the announcement of the partial military mobilization sparked anti-war protests in major Russian cities including St Petersburg and Moscow on Tuesday, resulting in 1,300 arrests, reported CNN.  

Further reports suggest that some of the detainees had been handed draft papers while in custody at police stations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that doing so was not against the law.