Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of military reservists for the war in Ukraine.Flights filled up quickly and the prices of tickets for remaining connections sky-rocketed, apparently driven by fears that Russia’s borders could soon close or of a broader call-up that might send many Russian men of fighting age to the war’s front lines.Tickets for the Moscow-Belgrade flights operated by Air Serbia, the only European carrier besides Turkish Airlines to maintain flights to Russia despite a European Union flight embargo, sold out for the next several days.
The price for flights from Moscow to Istanbul or Dubai increased within minutes before jumping again, reaching as high as 9,200 euros ($9,119) for a one-way economy class fare.
Putin orders partial mobilization of Russian troops as Ukraine wages counteroffensive Putin’s decree stipulates that the amount of people called to active duty will be determined by the Defense Ministry.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised interview that 300,000 reservists with relevant combat and service experience initially would be mobilized.Russia has seen a marked exodus of citizens since Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine almost seven months ago.