Two Russians detained in Alaska after fleeing Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation call on a small boat
Two Russians fleeing Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation call have been detained by US officials after they were found arriving in Alaska on a small boat.
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Two Russians fleeing Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation call have been detained by US officials after they were found arriving in Alaska on a small boat.
The men reportedly landed at a beach in the village of Gambell on St Lawrence Island and had requested asylum in the US.
The Department of Homeland Security said the pair’s claim was currently being processed.
Local media reported the men had sailed there from the city of Egvekinot in Russia’s northeast, making the perilous 480km journey by sea.
The men have since been flown off the island.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said their arrival came as a shock and called for more preparedness from the federal government.
“We don‘t anticipate a continual stream of individuals or a flotilla of individuals. We have no indication that’s going to happen, so this may be a one-off,” he added.
Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan has border officials “to have a plan ready... in the event that more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska”.
“This incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people don‘t want to fight Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Second, given Alaska’s proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing America’s national security,” he said.
Putin’s threat that Russia would be mobilising 300,000 soldiers has generated panic among young men, who now refuse to shed blood in Ukraine after witnessing over seven months of pain for the military.
Ukrainian officials last week claimed Russia has lost over 50,000 soldiers since the February invasion. US figures estimate casualties, both killed and wounded, have reached over 80,000 for the Russian military.
Tens of thousands of Russians have already flooded into neighbouring countries since the announcement.
One image taken by Maxar Technologies showed a string of cars lined up for some 20km. Others have reportedly cycled and even walked to their closest border crossing.
“I have no choice but to flee Russia,” one man, who just made it over the Georgian border, told AFP this week
“Why on earth would I need to go to that crazy war? I am no cannon fodder. I am not a murderer.”
Fleeing Russians decrying Vladimir Putin’s latest move refused to give their real names for fear of future consequences.
“Our president wants to drag all of us in the fratricidal war, which he declared on totally illegitimate grounds. I want to escape,” another added.
“To me, this is not a nice Georgia holiday, this is an emigration.”
For many, Putin’s mobilisation is the “final straw”, as public opposition to the new mandate grows. Protesters have already been rounded up by the thousands, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights confirming on Tuesday that more than 2,300 people were detained across Russia at protests.
Georgia is a favourable choice for men fleeing, as Russians can enter and stay up to a year without a visa. Officials claim over 53,000 Russians have entered the country since September 28, while tens of thousands more have also escaped to Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Finland.
An estimated 40,000 more have crossed into Armenia, another nation that also has no visa requirement for Russians.
Originally published as Two Russians detained in Alaska after fleeing Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation call on a small boat
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