Russian couples tearfully hug goodbye before men are forced into war in Ukraine as European Council chief says EU should grant asylum to those fleeing Putin’s press gangs
- Families were seen saying goodbye as recruits were sent to the front
- More than 300,000 reservists and prisoners mobilized in Putin’s desperate efforts
- EU President Charles Michel: Block should grant Russia war resisters asylum
- It came as Russia began staging “referendums” in Moscow-controlled parts of Ukraine
Russian couples were forced to say a heartbreaking goodbye as hundreds of thousands of army reservists and prisoners were sent to Ukraine, new images show.
Train stations and army checkpoints have become the scene of tearful breakups, often involving young couples — and men who don’t want to fight.
Putin’s failed invasion of the neighboring country has led to a new partial mobilization of 300,000 men – including prisoners and even attempts to recruit the dead.
A young Russian recruit and his partner kiss outside a recruitment center in Volgograd today
A young woman looks dejected as her boyfriend prepares to enlist in Putin’s army
Families were seen saying goodbye to each other as Russia’s partial mobilization continued
Protests in major cities erupted after the Kremlin leader’s announcement of the troop surge, while queues formed at the country’s borders as young men tried to flee.
Soldiers have also been spotted drinking and arguing on their way to training.
European Council President Charles Michel yesterday advised EU members to grant asylum to conscientious objectors leaving Russia to avoid conscription.
The mother of a young soldier wipes away tears as he is taken to a training camp to prepare
A tearful father holds his child as he prepares to say goodbye and fight on the front lines in Ukraine
The EU should be open “to those who do not want to be instrumentalized by the Kremlin,” he said.
“If in Russia people are in danger because of their political opinion, because they don’t follow this crazy decision by the Kremlin to start this war in Ukraine, we have to take that into account,” he told Politico.
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu previously said: “A refusal to fulfill civic duty in Russia, or a desire to do so, does not constitute sufficient grounds for granting asylum in another country.”
The man hugs his mother as police officers and other recruits look on in Volgograd today
It came as Ukrainians in Russian-controlled parts of the country were visited by soldiers and urged to take part in “referendums” that were widely condemned by international observers.
A poll branded “ridiculous” found that 97 percent in Donetsk and Luhansk are said to be in favor of joining Russia.
Ballot boxes have also been opened across Russia itself, ostensibly to allow displaced Ukrainians to vote.
Refugee Russians disembark from a bus from St. Petersburg to Helsinki Airport early this morning
Road travel remains a good option for Russians hoping to avoid Putin’s recent mobilization
But in reality, they offer more opportunities for vote-rigging.
Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine, said the outcome of the elections had “already been decided” and described the “sham” referendums as “a media exercise aimed at promoting an illegal invasion by Russia”.
The votes nonetheless mark a significant development in the war, as the bogus results will allow Putin to spin a narrative that any Ukrainian attempt to retake these territories is an attack on Russia itself.
This expands the range of options it can use in response to “defending” its territory – including perhaps nuclear weapons.
It would also allow Putin to expand his “military special operation” into a full-blown war, extend his powers to conscripts and punish those who try to quit.