Thousands of men queue at Russia’s borders to avoid serving in Ukraine war

Heartbreaking scenes in Russia today, with hoards of men rushing to the nation’s borders to avoid fighting in the war

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilisation, calling on 300,000 civilians to serve their country on the battlefield.

On Russia’s border with Georgia, footage shows miles-long queues of vehicles.

Witnesses estimate the queue of cars at the Upper Lars checkpoint now stretches for over 5 kilometres, with some saying it’s taking seven hours to get across the border.

Georgia is one of the few countries Russians can enter without a visa.

However, neighbouring Finland does require a visa, and while officials say queue times are also longer here, it’s currently at a manageable level.

It comes as a video circulating online shows a child crying while saying goodbye to their dad.

In Ukraine, Russia has lost momentum recently as Ukrainian forces recapture key areas.