Armenia says it won't block Russians fleeing new mobilization
Armenia's Security Council secretary said the country will not stop Russians from entering if Moscow announces a new mobilization, amid reports such a move could follow State Duma elections.
Alen Simonyan, secretary of Armenia's Security Council, told independent Russian broadcaster TV Rain that Armenia will not prevent Russians from entering the country should Moscow declare a new mobilization.
Asked by TV Rain journalist Yekaterina Kotrikadze whether Armenia is ready to accept a new wave of Russians trying to avoid being sent to the front, Simonyan said no one at the border would question why someone had come, noting that Russians can enter Armenia using only their internal passports. He said Russians would be welcomed and respected, would find what they came looking for, and could return home whenever they wished, with Armenia standing in their way of neither leaving nor staying — and offering help if needed.
Speculation over a new mobilization
Sources who spoke to Meduza and other outlets, as well as Ukrainian officials, have suggested Russia could announce a new mobilization following elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. The Kremlin has dismissed these reports as media hoaxes, just as it denied plans for mobilization before it was ordered in 2022.
Amid the speculation, more Russians have reportedly been seeking guidance from human rights activists on relocating abroad. According to the rights group Kovcheg ("The Ark"), Armenia and Georgia are currently the destinations generating the most interest among those considering leaving.
