Russia’s battle to convince people to join its war is being waged on Telegram

The administrators of the anti-Kremlin group announced that they were going to bomb military enlistment officers and the ministry of defense with Molotov cocktails. They wrote that ordinary Russians were invited to die for nothing. Don't be the one who legitimizes the Russian government.

Photos and videos purporting to show early action against the military have been posted by the Telegram group.

The government has instituted a nationwide ban on the sale of plane tickets to men older than 18 years old, but other Telegram channels are still offering citizens opportunities to flee the country. As soon as Putin finished talking, groups advising Russians on how to escape into neighboring countries sprang up, and some groups already on the platform adjusted their message.

A group that gives advice on how to cross from Russia to Georgia is close to 100,000 members. The group has offered information for potential travelers about how to book spots on minibuses crossing the border and how to travel with pets.

The channel was co-opted by young men who said they had crossed the border. Users are sharing when and where they crossed the border, as well as their experience with border guards.

There are still other ways to avoid army call-ups for those who haven't decided to leave Russia. Crowdsourced information about where police and other authorities in Moscow are recruiting men of military age can be found on another channel. They gained 52,000 subscribers in two days, and they are keeping track of photos, videos, and maps showing where people are being ordered to serve in the military. One Telegram channel in Moscow has more than 115,000 subscribers. On September 22, half of the audience joined.

There will not be a lot of calls or advice on how to avoid Mobilization. This will be seen on Telegram.

The Kremlin is trying hard to gain supremacy on Telegram because of its current position as a rich seam of subterfuge for those opposed to Putin and his regime, Golovchenko adds. “What is at stake is the extent to which Telegram can amplify the idea that war is now part of Russia’s everyday life,” he says. “If Russians begin to realize their neighbors and friends and fathers are being killed en masse, that will be crucial.”