Almost 100,000 Russians escaped to Kazakhstan over past week
IRYNA BALACHUK – TUESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022, 18:55
Approximately 98,000 Russian citizens entered Kazakhstan since 21 September; more than 64,000 Russians left the country [Kazakhstan - ed.] during the same period of time.
Source: Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti, citing Aslan Atalykov, acting Head of the Migration Service Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan
Quote by Atalykov: "As of today, we have received information which we have compared with border service data: approximately 98,000 Russians entered Kazakhstan since 21 September; 64,234 Russians left Kazakhstan."
Details: The news outlet did not specify where Russians went after leaving Kazakhstan.
Earlier on 27 September, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, said at a meeting with the public in the Turkestan region, that "lately, a lot of people from Russia have come to us".
Tokayev said that Kazakhstan will hold negotiations with Russia on this matter and find a solution to "this problem" in the interests of the Republic.
Aliber Kuantyrov, the Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, expressed his opinion in a chat with journalists in the halls of government that the increased flow of Russians was a temporary thing. According to him, most of them will leave Kazakhstan and go to other countries.
Background:
- On 21 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation. It was reported that Russia plans to call up 300,000 reservists.
- Right after the address of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russians bought all direct airline tickets to Istanbul and Yerevan for 21 September. Prices for airline tickets to the so-called safe countries reached astronomical values.
- Later, it had been revealed that there was a hidden paragraph in the Decree on mobilisation which allowed the Ministry of Defence to call up 1,000,000 people to the war.
- The Kremlin was discussing the possibility of introducing martial law and banning men from leaving the country.
- On 27 September, the Mediazona news outlet reported that five Russians, who were going from St Petersburg to Belarus by train, had not been allowed out of the country due to the decree "on mobilisation".
- Marat Akhmetzhanov, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, stated that the government [of Kazakhstan - ed.] would be forced to extradite Russian citizens, wanted for evasion of conscription, to Russia in case they were placed on an international wanted list.
- The Ministry of Defence of Russia said that they were not planning to catch draft evaders who left Russia in a hurry after the announcement of the partial mobilisation.
- At the same time, Russia’s enlistment task force began issuing conscription notices to Russians right on the border with Georgia.
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
