PremiumMoscow will not give out passports to Russians mobilised by the army, a government information portal said Wednesday, as fears of travel restrictions rise and tens of thousands flee the country
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The Russian government information portal stated that Moscow will not issue passports to Russians who have been mobilised by the army as tens of thousands of people flee the nation amid growing concerns about travel restrictions.
"If a citizen is summoned for army service or received a summons (for mobilisation), he will be refused a passport," the government website said. It added that those who are not issued a passport will be notified how long the hold will be in place.
Tens of thousands of Russians have crossed into neighbouring nations to avoid the draft since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilisation to support the Russian army in Ukraine.
Men of theage suitable for the militaryhave been reportedly turned away from leaving the country, which has caused widespread concern. A small percentage of Russians have passports that allow them to travel abroad.
Russia also has a system of "internal passports" -- a document used as a form of ID and accepted in some of Russia's ex-Soviet neighbours.
On internal passports, Russians can travel to Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, where many people have fled since Putin announced the mobilisation.
The portal did not mention restrictions on the handout of those documents.
On Wednesday, long lines of vehicles formed at a border crossing between Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia after Moscow announced a partial military mobilization.
Earlier on 22 September, the Finnish Border Guard had reported that the traffic arriving at Finland's eastern border with Russia "intensified" overnight.
As part of what Moscow refers to as its special military operation in Ukraine, Russia announced its first public mobilisation since World War Two on Wednesday. This has caused eligible men to rush for the border and unease in the general populace.
As part of the mobilisation effort, 300,000 more Russians, according to officials, will be called up to serve.
Many Russians are protesting against drafting of citizens for war in Ukraine. Many Russians were detained for protesting against Putin's order to mobilise the forces. Some of the male detainees were handed draft notices.
(With inputs from agencies)