Cars queuing to cross the border into Kazakhstan at the Mariinsky border crossing, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Chelyabinsk, Russia.
(Picture: AP)Almost 200,000 Russians have left the country since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of reservists to fight in Ukraine.
The vast majority of the 194,000 have entered neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia and Finland.
The mass exodus of men began on September 21 after President Putin addressed the nation sparking fears of a mass call-up that caused a rush for airline tickets which led to a huge price rise forcing many to take to the roads.
At one point, the traffic jam leading to one border crossing in Georgia reportedly stretched for more than nine miles. Images on social media showed hundreds of pedestrians lining up at the checkpoint after Russian border guards relaxed regulations and allowed people to cross on foot. Similarly long queues were reported at some crossings into Kazakhstan.
One refugee, who gave his name only as Vsevolod, said he took four days to drive from Moscow to Russia’s southern border with Georgia and then had to abandon his car and continue on foot to finish the 1,100 mile journey.
He said: “At 26, I do not want to be carried home in a zinc-lined (coffin) or stain (my) hands with somebody’s blood because of the war of one person that wants to build an empire.”
The Interior Ministry of Georgia said more than 53,000 Russians have entered the country since last week, while Interior Ministry officials in Kazakhstan said 98,000 crossed into their country. The Finnish Border Guard agency said around 43,000 arrived in the same period. Russian authorities sought to stem the flow, barring some men from leaving and citing mobilization laws and rumours persisted Moscow may soon shut the borders to all men of fighting age.
It comes as Pro-Moscow officials said residents in three of the four occupied areas of Ukraine have voted to join Russia in a Kremlin-orchestrated vote that has been dismissed by the US and Western allies as illegitimate.
According to Russia-installed election officials, 93% of the ballots case in the Zaporizhzhia region were in support of annexation, as were 87% of ballots in the southern Kherson region and 98% in Luhansk. Results from the Donetsk region were expected to follow later.
The preordained outcome sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in Russia’s seven-month war in Ukraine because it is expected to serve as a pretext for Moscow to annex the four areas. That could happen as soon as Friday.
Meanwhile, Russia ramped up warnings it could deploy nuclear weapons to defend its territory, including newly acquired lands, and mobilising more than a quarter of a million more troops to deploy to a front line of more than 620 miles.
Many Western leaders have called the referendum a sham, and the UN Security Council was scheduled to meet later in New York to discuss a resolution that says the voting results will never be accepted and that the four regions remain part of Ukraine.
Russia is certain to veto the resolution.
