Vladimir Putin’s orders have been defied by thousands of Russian doctors, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The Russian President called for a partial mobilisation of his country in September 2022 – which allowed the Russian military to call up around 300,000 reservists.
Following this announcement, the UK Defence Ministry noted “doctors were explicitly warned not to leave the country”.
However, in an update on the state of the war in Ukraine shared on social media platform X, the Ministry said: “Up to two percent of all Russian doctors and healthcare professionals left Russia to avoid the draft.”
Citing a number provided by the Chairman of the Duma, the MoD continued: “An estimate from January 2024 suggested the decline in the number of doctors since 2022 was 7,500.”
The unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the British Ministry added, “continues to impact Russian people domestically”.
Doctors haven’t been alone in trying to avoid the draft. To tackle the issues of men trying to escape the call-up, the Duma passed earlier this month legislation allowing military officials to summon citizens via an online state services portal rather than through physical documents.
The war, which is having an impact on everyday Russians on multiple fronts, continues to rage in Ukraine.
As the US Congress continues to hold up the billions worth of aid for Kyiv proposed by US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the West his country is at risk of running out of air defence, while Russia continues to pummel the territory.
He said: “If they keep hitting [Ukraine] every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it.”
Amid dwindling military supplies, some in the West fear Ukrainian defences may collapse, which could pave the way for Russians to make a major advance on the war-torn territory.
Earlier this week, Mr Zelensky warned Ukraine expects Russia to carry out a major offensive in the late spring, and some have speculated Kharkiv, the second-largest city in the country, could be the target.
A Ukrainian defeat, the Ukrainian President warned, would allow Russia to turn its attention to another European country.
He said: “If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.”
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