Long lines of traffic seen at some of Russia's land borders

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

Social media video from Russia's land borders with several countries shows long lines of traffic trying to leave the country on the day after President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilization."

There were queues at border crossings into Kazakhstan, Georgia and Mongolia. One video showed dozens of vehicles lining up at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars checkpoint on the Georgia-Russia border overnight Wednesday. That line appears to have grown longer Thursday. One video showed a long queue stretching into the mountains behind the crossing, with a man commenting that it was five to six kilometers long.

Another posted Thursday showed long lines at the Khaykhta crossing into Mongolia.

One man spoke over video recorded at the Troitsk crossing into Kazakhstan, where dozens of cars were lined up Thursday morning. "This is Troitsk, queues of trucks and passenger vehicles ... you can't see the start or the end of this queue ... everyone, everyone is fleeing Russia, all sorts."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-09-22-22/h_697d283e09f508753999ebae078f4ca2

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Begging the question: why are the other countries letting people in?

[SunSeeker]

1. Dear God, I hope this is the end of Putin.

But that evil fuck would rather sit on a burning pile of rubble that was once his country than admit he made a mistake.

[Martin68]

2. Russian draft-dodging at it's best. But I don't recall traffic jams on the Canadian border during

the Vietnam War.

[brooklynite]

3. In the 1960's, the US/Canada border was largely open.

There was no checkpoint monitoring departures from the US and only a cursory check upon arrival in Canada.

And that was at major crossings. There were a lot of local roads where you could probably walk over with nobody noticing.

[Martin68]

4. Actually, I am aware of that. I got my draft card on my birthday in 1970.

There are still minor crossings that are not blocked or monitored.

[Farmer-Rick]

24. Yeah, I was going to say

There are still places where you can just walk into Canada. The border is not that secure.

[FarPoint]

5. I heard that Putin put out a restriction

regarding one way plane flights out of Russia...no one between ages of 18 and 45 can buy such a flight ticket...

[Texin]

13. Actually, airline, rail, and bus travel out of the country is banned for males

between the ages of 18 to 65 as of yesterday morning.

[FarPoint]

18. Holy Crap!

This will not last long....

[central scrutinizer]

7. My paternal grandmother was born in Russia

Her family fled to the US in 1904 to avoid being drafted into the czar’s army for the Russo-Japanese War.

[Martin68]

10. Good move! The Japanese kicked Russia's butt.

[DetlefK]

6. I say: Let them in. Everybody who wants to leave gets to leave.

The problem with Russia is the 2 decades of brainwashing with propaganda. The Russians live in an alternative conspiracy-theory universe. Forcing them into contact with foreigners, and making them look at the world from a different viewpoint, is the best chance to break the brainwashing.

[IronLionZion]

8. Putin has turned Russia into a shithole country

the kind where people flee to find a better life elsewhere. So much for making Russia great again.

[ificandream]

9. Do we have to wonder how Repughs would feel about refugees from Russia coming here?

Don't think so.

[maxsolomon]

11. Why would other nations stop them from entering?

If they are legally permitted to cross...

[Kyesha]

15. bureaucracy

One thing I learned about my many travels to Russia is that not only they require a visa to visit, but also an invitation. This causes headaches for other Europeans to travel and work there, and they respond with their own tighter requirements in kind. This is just the cynic in me, but I think it's all a big plan to keep lots of people employed in otherwise worthless jobs because corruption has killed off any semblance of a functioning economy.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. If enough Russians go to, say, Estonia, ...

... then Putin might want a referendum to make Estonia part of Russia. He can export large voting blocs.

[SCantiGOP]

19. Latvia is already 50% ethnic Russian

And only about 1/4 Latvian. But a majority don’t want to come under Russian control or more influence.
Lithuania and Estonia are about 1/4 Russian.

I have a friend who left Lithuania about 25 years ago so I know some about them.

[Lancero]

20. Ever hear about what happened in Crimea, Donetsk, or Luhansk?

Might not be able to take the entire country in one whole swoop, but you can certainly throw support behind 'Independence' movements that, oddly, always seem to want to forsake that independence in favor of joining Russia.

And hell, what better way to flood the outer regions of neighboring nations and set them up for this than by staging a refugee crisis?

[SCantiGOP]

25. According to my friend

and my reading on the subject, large majorities, including a majority of the ethnic Russians in those countries, oppose closer ties with Russia. And most refugees are coming in because of their opposition to Russian policies.
He feels strongly, as does his family remaining there, that all 3 countries would resist Russian incursions like Ukraine has.

[Gore1FL]

12. Maybe Ron DeSantis can help by flying the escapees to blue states.

I am sure the FL taxpayers would be all for it!

Thanks. You share great articles.

[AverageOldGuy]

14. There were 42 attempts on Hitler's life . . .

. . . most of them originating in the German officer corps, who were not happy with being ordered to invade their neighbors.

Putin best not stand near any windows.

[Lonestarblue]

16. Maybe countries are letting them in because they want this war to end and hate Putin.

If Russia has fewer conscripts, Putin may have no choice but to end the war. I doubt the countries adjacent to Russia are fans of Putin, even Belarus since Putin sent police and others to help Lukashenko stay in power after he lost an election.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

21. Like rats off a sinking ship...

...those countries must have a welcome message like, 'give me your sanctioned, your lied to, your wise (or at least not stupid...)'

[Renew Deal]

22. Other countries should open their borders to Russians

To drain them of potential conscripts

[fanfanois]

23. Can Edward Snowden be drafted

Asking for a friend.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

26. Russians don't need a travel visa to enter Georgia and those other places, can't stop them

A vlogger girl I follow flew to Georgia a few days ago, was stopped and interrogated by airport police, in a back room.

"Why do you want to leave?"

"Because I want to"!

lol, smart girl, to leave now

She made it out!

Of course none of her Russian credit cards work, she makes her money from YouTube.

[tonekat]

27. Wouldn't it be something if

..all the Russian conscripts get to the front and run and join the Ukranian armed forces.