On the borders of neighbouring Georgia and Finland, 12-hour traffic jams built up as men from across the country tried to escape the draft.
It came as thousands were arrested in protests against the call-up in more than 35 cities across Russia.
Bids to escape conscription resulted in all arterial routes out of the nation becoming jammed. Planes and trains were also packed as tens of thousands of young men tried to flee to neighbouring countries.
Some on the Georgian frontier used bicycles to bypass lines of cars and evade a ban on crossing on foot.
One man from Kaliningrad told how he would do anything to avoid being drafted: "I will break my arm, my leg, I will go to prison, anything to avoid this whole thing," he said.
This story is from the September 24, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the September 24, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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