Ukraine vs Russia

Nothing says, "Successful war effort" quite like an urgent call for massive conscription, followed by large numbers of draft-age people flooding out of your country to avoid being shot to pieces just so you can cover your ass.

Especially when the REMFs on your right flank start to bitch about how you're not being tough enough, you need to take a firmer hand, and blah blah blah.

And even more especially when you repeat the threat to use nukes, as you try to spin your fucked invasion of Ukraine into "poor poor pitiful Russian - everybody's being mean to me".

Some Russians flee from Putin's Ukraine war call-up

• Demand soars for flights out of Russia, border traffic up
• Russia conscripting tens of thousands to fight
• Ukraine's Zelenskiy appeals to world to punish Moscow
• Violence on eve of referendums in southeastern areas
• U.N. Security Council to discuss Ukraine conflict

Some draft-age Russians headed abroad on Thursday to escape their country's biggest conscription drive since World War Two, while explosions shook southeastern Ukraine on the eve of referendums planned there by pro-Moscow separatists.

President Vladimir Putin's new mobilisation campaign escalates a war that has already killed thousands, displaced millions, pulverised cities, damaged the global economy and revived Cold War confrontation.

Though polls have suggested widespread domestic backing for Russia's intervention in Ukraine, mass conscription may be a domestically risky move after past Kremlin promises it would not happen and a string of battlefield failures in Ukraine.

"Every normal person is (concerned)," said one man, identifying himself only as Sergey, disembarking in Belgrade after a flight from Moscow. "It is OK to be afraid of the war."

Anti-war protests in 38 Russian cities saw more than 1,300 people arrested on Wednesday, a monitoring group said, with more planned for the weekend. Some of the detainees had been ordered to report to enlistment offices on Thursday, the first full day of conscription, independent news outlets said.

Putin's defense minister has said the call-up is intended to enlist about 300,000 men.

Prices for air tickets out of Moscow soared above $5,000 for one-way flights to the nearest foreign locations, with most sold out for coming days. Traffic also surged at border crossings with Finland and Georgia. read more

One Russian man arriving at Istanbul Airport said he left partly over the Kremlin's decision. "It can lead to lots of problems for lots of Russians," said Alex, grabbing his suitcase at a baggage carousel.

Russia scoffed at reports of a mass exodus as exaggerated.

National airline Aeroflot said it would refund people unable to fly as planned because they had received a call-up.