Britain's Prime Minister is urging Western leaders to 'hold firm' against Vladimir Putin's latest threats. It comes as Ukraine braces for a massive mobilisation of Russian troops. CGreenbank9 9News MORE:
It's also sparked an exodus from Russia as military-age men flee the country rather than risk being conscripted, with video footage showing long lines of traffic at land border crossings into several neighbouring countries and surging airfares and sold out flights in recent days.
Ksenia Thorstrom, a Russian municipal deputy from St Petersburg who has left Russia, called the mobilisation a "very unpopular decision" in comments to CNN on Saturday. Those soldiers who surrender will be "treated in a civilised manner," Zelenskyy pledged, saying that no one in Russia will know that their "surrender was voluntary," and if they are "afraid to return to Russia and do not want an exchange" Ukraine will "find a way to ensure this as well."But Russia has moved to dissuade military men from dodging the draft or disobeying orders with new laws.
"The federal law also introduces criminal liability for military personnel for voluntary surrender, as well as criminal liability for looting during martial law, in wartime or in conditions of armed conflict or combat operations", reads a statement by the Kremlin about the amendments. In a separate move, Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday said it had replaced its deputy defence minister, appointing Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev — an officer Ukraine has said led the siege of its eastern port city of Mariupol — for the post.The mobilisation coincides with voting in a set of referendums to join Russia, which Moscow-backed leaders have said are taking place in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine from Friday.
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