Russian Lawmaker Tells Fleeing Citizens the Country Does Not Need Them

State Duma Defense Committee member Viktor Sobolev stated that Russia has no use for citizens leaving the country.

He noted that their departure was triggered by rumors of a new mobilization wave, according to The Moscow Times on August 29.

Addressing the departure of citizens, Sobolev told, "I think they are leaving for a reason, we simply do not need them. If they dislike their motherland so much and go somewhere based only on rumors, we simply do not need them. Therefore, let them leave."

The lawmaker added that Russian authorities have no plans to conduct a mobilization.

Sobolev stated, "Enlistment offices in all subjects of the Russian Federation are handling the task issued by the General Staff to recruit contract soldiers. Therefore, there is no such need today."

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War in Ukraine

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More than 113,000 Russians crossed into Georgia through the Verkhny Lars checkpoint in a single week following rumors of a new draft, with over 20,000 people passing through on August 20 alone.

Russia’s Federal Customs Service noted that these figures significantly exceeded previous years' levels.

At the same time, Russian authorities intensified recruitment for contract soldiers, stepped up data collection on reservists, and expanded the powers of the Russian National Guard, while Ukrainian intelligence reported that Moscow planned an additional mobilization wave of 600,000 people across 2026 and 2027.

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