KYIV, Ukraine: Russian-organized referendums that could lead to annexing 15 per cent of Ukraine's territory were due to end on Tuesday (Sep 27) as the Kremlin said it made no decisions on closing its borders as the first mobilization since World War II prompted some to flee.
Voting in the Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the east and southeast began on Friday and have been dismissed as a sham by Western nations, which have pledged not to recognize the results.
In Russia, the call-up of some 300,000 reservists has sustained protests since the invasion began, with one monitoring group estimating at least 2,000 people have been arrested so far. All public criticism of Russia's "special military operation" is banned.
Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have clogged border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-Western that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.
Asked about the prospect of the border being shut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry told reporters on Monday: "I don't know anything about this. At the moment, no decisions have been taken on this."
Russia counts millions of former conscripts as official reservists. The authorities have not spelled out precisely who is due to be called up, as that part of President Vladimir Putin's order is classified.
The mobilization has also seen the first sustained criticism of the authorities within state-controlled media since the war began.
The Kremlin said on Monday (Sep 26) no decision had been taken on whether to seal Russia's borders to stop an exodus of military-aged men fleeing the country, after days of chaotic scenes during its first military mobilization since World War II.
Asked about the prospect of the border being shut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry told reporters: "I don't know anything about this. At the moment, no decisions have been taken on this."
Reports that Russia might close the frontier have contributed to turmoil since President Vladimir Putin gave the order last week to call up hundreds of thousands of reservists in the biggest escalation yet of the seven-month Ukraine war.
Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have piled up at border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-Western that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.
"Everyone who is of conscription age should be banned from travelling abroad in the current situation," Sergei Tsekov, a senior lawmaker who represents Russian-annexed Crimea in Russia's upper house of parliament, told RIA news agency.
The mobilization was accompanied by an announcement by Putin that Moscow would stage votes to annex four Ukrainian provinces occupied by its forces. The West calls the votes, due to conclude on Tuesday, a sham pretext to seize territory captured by force.
The past few days have also seen the first sustained criticism of the authorities on state-controlled media since the war began, with pro-Kremlin commentators denouncing officials for calling up people too old to fight.
On a talk show on Russia's main state channel, pro-Kremlin commentators demanded harsh punishments for draft officers who call up the wrong people.
Nice
You must be logged in to post a comment.