"I have not been living at the address where I’m officially registered for a long time:" One year after partial mobilisation, Russians avoiding the draft speak out

Ukraine@sopuli.xyz – 102 points – 1 years ago

We speak to three Russian men who have avoided mobilisation

Those who stayed in Russia but didn’t want to fight had to avoid being contacted by the military bureaucracy – for example, by moving immediately to a new apartment or city, changing their phone number and leaving their social media accounts. Several NGOs and mass media outlets published guides on how to “run away from the military registration and enlistment office”. One NGO called Go Through The Forest started to help Russian conscripts leave the country to avoid mobilisation.

@0x815 at this point no one willing to live a civilized life (i.e. in the city and just about any sort of settlement) has any reason to stay in Russia whatsoever. There's no point in living like a fugitive, like some sort of a criminal just to avoid drafting.

It's sad that it happens this way though.

I'm not sure. You may have children, elderly among your relatives dependent on your care and you don't want to leave behind, things like that. I have never been in such a situation and hopefully never will be, but it's hard to generalize imho.

@0x815 that is true, but given how regular phone calls and other communication could be tracked, I think it's just a matter of time until these people will be noticed by authorities.

Maybe just living on your own in the woods would help - but then again, whenever you need to access state services you are exposing yourself to this risk.

no one willing to live a civilized life (i.e. in the city and just about any sort of settlement) has any reason to stay in Russia whatsoever.

Family, children and elderly relatives who need to be taken care of.

A lack of skills, not being able to speak anything but Russian, which would make finding a job somewhere else impossible.

A lack of money, leaving Russia isn't cheap.

Fear of being detained and sent to the front, if you present yourself at the border, try to leave, but they find out you've been served a conscription notice.

@Hyperreality@kbin.social wrote:

A lack of skills, not being able to speak anything but Russian, which would make finding a job somewhere else impossible.

That is an important issue indeed (and being detained at the border). Didn't think about this FWIW.

@0x815