‘I’d rather leave than fight’ – Russians react to Putin’s military drive to the ‘grave’

“I’d rather leave than fight”: Russians react in Putin’s recruitment. That’s the headline of an article in the British Guardian, which refers to 33-year-old Alexander and how he reacted when he learned of Vladimir Putin’s decision to declare partial conscription in Russia to reinforce forces in the Ukraine war by a phone call from his worried wife.

“Sasha, they might take you too,” his wife told him shortly after he arrived at his office in central Moscow.

And while Alexander served in the army as a conscript about 15 years ago, he was never on the battlefield. For this reason, he is relatively low in line for conscription, the first to take place in Russia since World War II.

Nevertheless, like many others, he is worried that he might receive his “povestka”, his conscription paper, and be sent to the front.

“I’d rather leave than fight in this one war“, the 33-year-old said in a short interview with the Guardian via a messenger app. “If they call me, then I would like to go [από τη χώρα]».

However, due to the new legislation in Russia which criminalizes desertion, he explained, he could face up to 10 years in prison – or more – if he gets away with it. That option “is impossible,” he said, adding that he would probably “have to go” to the military, though he would do his best to avoid it.

The war is knocking on the door of their house

Millions of Russians woke up on Wednesday to the realization that they might be called to join the country’s war and occupation of Ukraine. For nearly seven months, many Russians simply tried to ignore the invasion of Ukraine. Now, for many families, war is knocking on their doorstep.

“This is what we were all afraid of when the war started,” said one mother, who believes her son could be drafted.

Others say they are ready to fight. A man in his 30s with military experience told the newspaper that he considers it his patriotic duty to join the army if called upon. “I want to support my country,” he said.

So far, Russia has not closed its borders to prevent young men fleeing conscription, but many believe such a move will not be long in coming.

Russians leaving the country have bought tickets to countries such as Turkey and Armenia, where they can travel without a visa. Individual tickets to those countries aren’t available until this weekend, and even then they can cost more than $3,000, the report said. Aviasales, a popular airline ticketing website, even offers a ‘where can I go’ destination option.

Many European countries have closed their land borders to Russians, further limiting escape options. Moreover, even Russians who manage to leave risk prosecution for desertion if they are drafted and do not return.

According to the British newspaper, the delivery of conscription papers has already begun. At the same time, Russian citizens opposed to the war take to the streets to demonstrate, with over 1,000 arrested to be marked within a few hours of Putin’s speech, in various Russian cities.

Russians opposed to the war use the word “mogilizatsia”, a pun between the words conscription and “mogila”, meaning grave. “We know it’s a lot more dangerous there than they say,” Alexander says. “Otherwise, why would conscription be needed?”