“When it was from the safety of their homes and there was nothing at stake for them it was fine. “Many of these people used to support Putin, they used to cheer for the war,” she said.
While those who left Russia in the immediate aftermath of its February invasion of Ukraine were a “well-educated, Western-oriented, cosmopolitan crowd,” now her organization was seeing “just about everyone who can escape the country.” Proshin said his family were “very relieved” that he left Russia and now plans to wait for his girlfriend to join him before leaving for another country.Įva Rapoport, the Istanbul coordinator for The Ark, a group helping Russians fleeing their country, said there had been a significant increase in the numbers arriving in Turkey since Putin's mobilization declaration. “They don’t want this war and they don’t want to lose their friends, husbands, brothers or themselves in this useless war.” “Right now, when the Russian army is having some trouble and the Ukrainian army is pushing them out of their lands, people who were supporting this war are saying they don’t understand why this war is happening,” he said. Proshin, a YouTube vlogger originally from the Siberian city of Omsk, said setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine had eroded Russian support for the war, even among “patriotic” Russians. It has tried to balance its relations with both Russia and Ukraine, positioning itself as a mediator between the two. The NATO-member country, which relies on Russia for its energy needs and tourism, has not joined U.S. Turkish media have also reported an increase in the number of Russians purchasing or renting houses in Turkey. Some 3 million Russians have visited the country so far this year. Turkish officials have not released data on how many Russians may have arrived in Turkey to flee the draft, but Russia is close to the top of a list of countries that sends tourists to Turkey, after Germany. Turkey, which has maintained air links with Russia while other countries blocked flights and does not impose visa restrictions on Russian visitors, has been a popular destination for those leaving for “any place” they can reach.
0 kommentar(er)
