Putin's Mobilization Order Sparks Rush to Flee Russia... All Flight Tickets Sold Out

One-Way Tickets to Turkey and the Middle East Sold Out Completely
Neighboring Countries Successively Close Borders... Anxiety Spreads

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization order, Russian citizens rushed to flee abroad, causing major flights to sell out. With the scope of the mobilization order expected to expand further and war damages likely to increase, the exodus of Russian citizens abroad is expected to continue. Neighboring countries around Russia are wary of the large-scale movement of Russian citizens and have begun to close their borders one after another.

According to dpa news agency on the 21st (local time), flights from Russia to Turkey were already sold out hours before the announcement of the mobilization order, lasting through the weekend. Not only Turkey, but most international flights to Istanbul, Dubai, Armenia, and other destinations were sold out. dpa reported that these flights will be unavailable for at least the next 3 to 4 days.

Airfare prices are also soaring. Air tickets from Moscow to Istanbul have more than doubled, rising from 80,000 rubles (about 1.84 million KRW) to 173,000 rubles (about 3.98 million KRW). Due to increased sanctions against Russia, with more countries suspending visas or banning entry, demand has concentrated on flights to the Middle East and Central Asia regions where departure is still relatively free.

Earlier, President Putin declared a partial mobilization order, and the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that only 300,000 reservists out of the total 25 million eligible for mobilization would be called up. However, fear among Russian citizens is growing. If the war situation worsens and the scope of the mobilization order expands, the number of conscripts could increase significantly.

The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which border Russia, are concerned about the possibility of large-scale immigration due to Russia's mobilization order and have begun closing their borders. On this day, Edgars Rink?vi?s, Latvia's Foreign Minister, emphasized in a statement, "We will not provide refuge to Russians trying to evade the mobilization order."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.