Kanal13

Kremlin officials are hiding relatives abroad, fearing a new mobilization: mass exodus from Russia

Duration: 3:44 484 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Amidst growing fears within Russia that President Vladimir Putin might announce a new large-scale mobilization following the State Duma elections, high-ranking Kremlin officials are reportedly advising their friends and relatives to flee the country immediately. According to reports from Bloomberg, these elite figures are actively seeking ways to open foreign bank accounts and transfer their assets abroad to protect themselves from potential conscription. This internal panic is further compounded by a recent directive from Putin to cut regional government positions by 15% to address budget deficits, with emerging documents suggesting that the newly unemployed bureaucrats could be quietly drafted into the military rather than being allowed to remain in civilian life. The anticipated mobilization marks a significant shift from the chaotic partial draft of September 2022, which triggered a massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Russians, as the current administration appears prepared to conduct a silent draft without a formal public announcement. To facilitate this covert operation, authorities have completely overhauled the conscription system by replacing paper summonses with a unified digital registry that is seamlessly integrated with tax services, internal affairs ministries, medical records, property databases, and border control systems. Once an electronic summons is issued through this networked system, the recipient is automatically barred from leaving the country, effectively trapping them within Russia's borders before they can escape or resist the draft. Despite Putin's public denials regarding preparations for a new wave of mobilization, the Russian military is facing severe manpower shortages that are directly impacting its ability to sustain operations in Ukraine. With frontline fatalities reaching up to 1,000 soldiers per week and the quality of volunteers signing contracts declining despite record sign-on bonuses, the army struggles to recruit enough personnel to maintain its deployed force of 700,000. Experts estimate that Russia needs to recruit approximately 400,000 new soldiers annually to sustain current operations, yet the influx of recruits is noticeably shrinking, leading to a situation where territorial gains have practically stalled and summer offensive progress has dropped to just 155 square kilometers compared to over 2,000 captured in the same period last year.

Read the full video transcript

Fears are growing in Russia that dictator Vladimir Putin could announce a new large-scale mobilization for war against Ukraine after the State Duma elections. According to Bloomberg, such expectations are spreading, including among members of the Russian elite. According to the agency, some Kremlin officials are advising friends and relatives to leave Russia and are also seeking opportunities to open accounts abroad and transfer assets there. Employees of Russian military recruitment centers are taking similar measures. Putin has publicly denied preparing a new wave of mobilization. >> [music] >> The panic coincides with Russian leader Vladimir Putin's recent directive to slash the number of regional officials by 15% to ease the burden on a deficit-ridden budget. However, according to the documents seen by Bloomberg, there are growing internal fears that the Kremlin intends to draft these newly unemployed bureaucrats into the military. According to a European security official cited by Bloomberg, Russia is preparing to send an additional 300,000 men to the war in Ukraine. But unlike the chaotic partial mobilization of September 2022, which triggered a massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Russians, the Kremlin may avoid a formal public announcement this time. Instead, authorities have completely overhauled the conscription system to handle a silent draft. Paper summonses have been replaced with a unified digital registry that is now seamlessly integrated with the tax service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, medical records, property databases, and border control. Once an electronic summons is issued, the recipient is automatically barred from leaving the country. While sources indicate that Putin has not yet made a final decision on whether to pull the trigger on a mass draft, the Russian army is facing severe manpower shortages. Russian leader continues to demand the full capture of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but the human cost remains staggering. A source in Moscow familiar with the statistics told Bloomberg that frontline fatalities are reaching up to 1,000 soldiers every week. Furthermore, the military is struggling to attract capable volunteers. The source noted that the overall quality of individuals currently signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense is extremely low. To sustain the 700,000-strong force currently deployed in Ukraine, a figure cited by Putin himself, Russia must recruit approximately 400,000 new soldiers annually. Yet, despite raising the average sign-on bonus to a record 1.8 million rubles or $19,000, the influx of recruits is noticeably shrinking. >> [music] >> Janis Kluge, an expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, calculates that 234,000 people signed contracts in the first half of this year, down from 260,000 during the same period last year. This manpower deficit has directly impacted battlefield progress. Territorial gains have practically stalled. Bloomberg analyst Alex Kokcharov estimates that Russia captured just 155 square kilometers during its summer offensive, 13 times less than the 2,037 square kilometers seized during the same period a year earlier. >> [music]