Russia's Mobilisation Fears: A War of Brother Against Brother

As Vladimir Putin's mobilisation effort gains traction, families across Russia are finding themselves torn apart by conflicting loyalties and fears. Nadezhda, a 64-year-old mother, is desperately trying to persuade her son to flee the country and avoid fighting against his cousin, who serves in Ukraine's armed forces. The mobilisation announcement has shattered the social contract between the public and the Kremlin, leading to widespread panic and protests across the country. The FT spoke to eight people who have been called up to the Russian army, feared they soon will be, or have close relatives who face conscription, revealing a population fearful of being used as cannon fodder and possibly facing a broader draft than Putin announced.

Key Takeaways:

• The mobilisation announcement has led to widespread panic among Russia's population, with thousands of people seeking to flee the country to avoid conscription.
• The Kremlin insists that the mobilisation is "partial" and limited to those who have served in the armed forces before and have combat experience, but analysts and lawyers say the text of the decree has been left vague, allowing authorities to scale up the recruitment drive.
• At least 1,386 people were arrested at protests in 38 cities across Russia, with some protesters receiving draft notices from police after their arrest.
• Russian law states that once mobilisation has begun, men on the military roll are not allowed to leave their area of residence, but this has not been clearly enforced.
• Thousands of people have joined mutual support groups on the Telegram messenger app, sharing tips about the situation on the land borders and whether border police are letting men of fighting age leave.
• The mobilisation has brought the war close to home for many Russians, with some families facing the prospect of brother against brother combat.
• Opinion is divided, with some seeing the mobilisation as an attempt by the Kremlin to reinstall control, while others see it as a sign of the system's collapse.

Statistics:

• At least 1,386 people were arrested at protests in 38 cities across Russia.
• Over 10,000 people came to recruitment offices without a summons on Thursday, according to Vladimir Tsmilyansky, a spokesman for Russia's general staff.
• Thousands of people have joined mutual support groups on the Telegram messenger app.
• The Kremlin insists that 300,000 men will be added to the military under the mobilisation effort.

Sources:

• Financial Times
• OVD-Info, an independent monitor of protests in Russia
• Ekaterina Schulmann, a Russian political scientist
• Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman
• Vladimir Tsmilyansky, a spokesman for Russia's general staff
• Alexander Nemenov and Olivier Morin/AFP/ Getty Images