Russian border guards reportedly checking men against conscription lists and denying exit to some

Agents from the Russian FSB’s border service who work in airports have received lists of people to be conscripted, the independent Russian outlet The Bell reported on Monday, citing four sources from the airline industry. Three of the sources noted that the list only includes soldiers whose draft summonses have already been issued, not Russia’s entire mobilization base.

According to The Bell’s sources, border agents have begun checking the list for the names of men seeking to leave the country and, in some cases, refusing to let people cross the border. A source from one of Moscow’s airports told the outlet that in the previous 24 hours (the news was published Monday afternoon, Moscow time), 20 men had been denied exit from the country at that facility alone. Two sources told The Bell that the travel restrictions apply to air crew members as well, and that multiple pilots and flight attendants have been forced to stay in the country.

Russian authorities started issuing orders not to allow draftees to leave the country on the night of September 24, one source told the outlet. On September 25, the investigative outlet iStories also reported that border officers had begun checking passengers against conscription lists.