According to UK intelligence, the number of Russians leaving the country to avoid Putin is larger than the initial invasion force.
There has been a "considerable exodus of Russians seeking to evade call-up" according to the UK'sMinistry of Defence.
It is likely that it surpasses the size of the total invasion force Russia put in place.
—Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 29, 2022
There has been a rush for the border since Putin announced that 300,000 people would be called up.
Russian civilians have been kept at a distance from the realities of the Ukraine invasion because of Putin's pledge not to introduce compulsory military service. Last week's announcement disrupted that.
According to the Associated Press, at least 194,000 Russians have left the country in the last year.
The figure is 200,000 according to data from the EU.
The US had estimated the invasion force to be 190,000 strong.
Maxar shared pictures of huge traffic build-ups at the border with Georgia and other countries.
According to The Washington Post, the number of people crossing into Georgia has doubled since the announcement.
Plane tickets to countries with friendly visa agreements with Russia sold out immediately after Putin's announcement, with reports of seats on private jets going for up to $27,000.
The better off and well educated are more likely to leave Russia.
Russia's rich were moving before this announcement. Russian millionaires were projected to leave the country by the middle of March according to New World Wealth.
According to the ministry, the situation is likely to compound the country's economic problems.
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