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Finland on Friday said it would “significantly limit” the number of Russian “tourists” it will allow to cross its borders as an exodus of Russian men try to escape and avoid conscription.
The Finnish government said its decision was made on concerns that issuing visa bands to Russian men would cause “serious damage to Finland’s international standing”.
Few details have been released on the restrictions Helsinki will now apply, though its decision comes after other neighboring nations took steps earlier in the week to prevent Russian tourists from crossing their borders.
DETAILS OF RUSSIA THAT AVOID CONCRIPTION, WAR IN UKRAINE
Finland’s latest decision resulted in the blocking of all land border crossings linking Russia to Europe.
The move comes as thousands of Russian men began fleeing the country following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree this week calling for a “partial mobilization” to channel more men into the war in Ukraine.
PUTIN’S CALL FOR RUSSIAN CONCRIPTS WILL REQUIRE WEAPONS THAT MOSCOW DOES NOT HAVE, SAYS THE HEAD OF NATO
Putin said he would mobilize “reservists,” which suggests anyone of draft age could be forced to fight in Ukraine.
Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve in Russia’s ranks for one year, although certain conditions such as higher education and health could help some male populations evade the requirement.
Some 300,000 troops are expected to be mobilized to fight in Ukraine, where Russian troops would suffer significant losses, although Moscow said on Friday that technology, business and state reporters will be exempt.
Kiev said that while more than 9,000 of its troops died in the fighting, nearly 55,000 Russian soldiers were killed.
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The death toll during the war was not independently verified.
But images of airports filled with fighting-age men and thousands of people causing traffic jams at border crossings suggest that Russian citizens are unwilling to risk fighting statistics in Ukraine.