New photographs reveal that Russian couples were forced to say terrible farewells as hundreds of thousands of army reservists and inmates were transferred to Ukraine.
Train stations and military checkpoints have been the scene of tearful separations, frequently involving young couples and men who do not wish to fight.
Putin’s unsuccessful invasion of the neighboring nation has spurred a new partial mobilization of 300,000 men, including prisoners and even attempts to enlist the dead.
Today, a young Russian recruit and his partner are seen kissing in front of a recruitment center in Volgograd.
A young woman appears dejected as her boyfriend prepares to join Putin’s army.
Families were observed bidding each other farewell as Russia’s partial mobilization continued.
As a result of the Kremlin leader’s announcement of the troop increase, protests erupted in key cities, and lines have formed at the nation’s borders as young men attempt to flee.
On their route to training, soldiers have also been observed drinking and engaging in physical altercations.
Yesterday, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, asked EU states to give shelter to conscientious objectors fleeing Russia to avoid the conscription.
A young soldier’s mother wipes away tears as her son is transported to training camp.
A sad father embraces his child as he prepares to leave to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
He stated that the EU should be open to “those who do not wish to be instrumentalized by the Kremlin.”
“If people in Russia are under risk because of their political views, because they do not support this insane Kremlin decision to conduct this war in Ukraine, we must evaluate this,” he told Politico.
Earlier, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu stated, “Refusal to do one’s civic duty in Russia or a willingness to do so are not adequate grounds for asylum in another nation.”
Today in Volgograd, the man embraces his mother as police and fellow recruits observe.
It occurred while soldiers visited Ukrainians in Russian-held regions of the country and compelled them to vote in “referendums” that have been harshly denounced by international observers.
According to a ‘ridiculous’ poll, 97% of Donetsk and Lugansk residents support joining Russia.
Across Russia, ballot boxes have been opened purportedly to allow displaced Ukrainians to vote.
In practice, however, they provide greater potential for vote manipulation.
The British Ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, stated that the outcome of the elections was “already decided” and that the “fake” referendums were a “media exercise meant to support an unlawful invasion by Russia.”
The elections are nonetheless an important development in the war, as the sham results will enable Putin to weave a narrative that any Ukrainian attempts to recapture these territory constitute an attack on Russia itself.
This widens the alternatives available to him to ‘protect’ his region, possibly including nuclear weapons.
It would also permit Putin to transform his “special military operation” into a full-scale war by expanding his authority to enlist personnel and penalize any who attempt to flee.