'My whole world collapsed': Russians on fleeing home after Putin's speech
Artur*, a 26-year-old Russian software developer, bought a one-way plane ticket to Armenia's capital Yerevan after hearing Vladimir Putin's announcement to bolster Russia's military forces.
In a speech last week, the Russian president ordered a partial mobilisation of reservists and Artur is one of thousands of Russians who has tried to flee with flights out of the country soaring in price.
He paid over €1200 for a flight leaving the following day, choosing Yerevan as it was the cheapest destination he could find.
"I feel really nervous to travel alone and under such conditions, but I have no other choice," he told Euronews via the messaging app Telegram.
Though Artur says he was written off of Russia's mandatory military service due to a heart condition, his official ID papers don't mention it, meaning he could still be eligible for conscription, he said.
Artur said his mother, ex-military father and younger brother tried to flee in a queue at the border with Georgia which stretched several kilometres.
They left behind their family-owned businesses and his brother abandoned his medical studies, fearing that he could be called up for service, with no plans for the future except to escape.
“I hate this government so much," Artur said. “Even people who supported the government for many years feel anxiety right now.”
On the social media app Telegram, many Russians have been looking for advice on how to leave the country and information on how long queues at border points are.
Some messages advertise taxi services from southern Russian cities to cross the mountainous Caucasus border. One post on the app said that everyone is allowed to enter Georgia, without military ID, certificates or PCR tests.
Georgia's interior ministry has said
Read more on euronews.com
