Where to now?

[slavaskii 885]

Unconfirmed reports of Russian airlines being forbidden from selling tickets to men 18-65 years old. While I don't know the truth of that, what is true is that flights are either (a) booked full or (b) prohibitively expensive. Reminds me of the late February exodus...

 

I hate to say this, but I'm not sure it will matter much if/when the State Department designates a new embassy. Getting out of Russia right now is horrendous, and for men, it may soon become all but impossible. I expect this forum will get quite busy throughout the next few months.

[Lynxyonok 316]

22 hours ago, slavaskii said:

Pack up everyone, his (pre-recorded) address is now scheduled for early tomorrow morning. Broadcasters have apparently booked an hour in total, unsure if that includes Shoigu’s speech. Have the Duma’s laws on martial law and mobilization gone into effect, or do they require Putin’s signature? I’ve heard varying things on what the Duma has done.

In other news:

 

- Flight prices from Moscow have reached up to $6K per one-way ticket

- 6-mile car backups on the border

- Expedites are getting denied in as little as 3 minutes

 

Telegram chats have been on steroids today.

[TBoneTX 43,254]

Sincere condolences to everyone here who is directly or indirectly affected.

[Simplytex 386]

3 hours ago, Lynxyonok said:

- Expedites are getting denied in as little as 3 minutes

 

I'm assuming this is regarding K1/I-130 expedites?

[Lynxyonok 316]

1 hour ago, Simplytex said:

I'm assuming this is regarding K1/I-130 expedites?

K-1 or CR-1, yes.

[Lynxyonok 316]

Nearly $10,000 tickets for an otherwise $600 route as people are scrambling to escape.

[Simplytex 386]

My wife seems to think that they had the entire conscription process ready to go well in advance of the speech/laws being passed, since today she already had firsthand conversations that people were being given their notices, including someone as old as 55years old - what impact that person will have in the army is beyond me. Fortunately, no one in her family fits the profile for getting the notices (I don't think...) so she's just trying to hold fast, keep her head down, and stick with the process for now. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Simplytex

[Lynxyonok 316]

3 minutes ago, Simplytex said:

My wife seems to think that they had the entire conscription process ready to go well in advance of the speech/laws being passed, since today she already had firsthand conversations that people were being given their notices, including someone as old as 55years old - what impact that person will have in the army is beyond me. Fortunately, no one in her family fits the profile for getting the notices (I don think...) so she's just trying to hold fast, keep her head down, and stick with the process for now. 

Yes, first four Federal Republics / Territories issued individual executive orders that were word-for-word carbon copies today.

[Boiler 43,604]

I have seen references of people being contacted to update details etc for months, if there is the possibility of conscription that makes a lot of sense.

 

Plenty of coverage of units with soldiers who seem to be well in their 50's if not older.

 

I would expect most to be used to pad out depleted units and learn on the job.

[Lynxyonok 316]

57 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I have seen references of people being contacted to update details etc for months, if there is the possibility of conscription that makes a lot of sense.

 

Plenty of coverage of units with soldiers who seem to be well in their 50's if not older.

 

I would expect most to be used to pad out depleted units and learn on the job.

 

I wish there were more emoticons on VJ. Because one expressing care would have fit right in.

 

Yes, many featured units showcase older gentlemen. From both sides.

But this is not about politics. There are plenty of forums elsewhere for that; VJ is about visas.

Whether visas apply to older gentlemen or not.

 

So, the issue at hand is that anyone's connection across the continent has just been severed.

For dual-citizenship users.

For users whose significant other happens to have a military-grade occupation.

 

"There is no way out. There is no way out." How many remember that line in "The Fellowship of the Ring"?

 

I realize VJ prohibits negative posts, and I'm trying oh so hard not to create one.

 

I'm just going to scream into a pillow instead. Please forgive.

[slavaskii 885]

One additional consideration, is that anyone conscripted right now could face a permanent bar to getting either a Schengen or US visa. Considering we ask, explicitly, on the DS-160 (presumably DS-260 as well?) for prior military service, any male 18+ in Russia right now is going to have a really difficult time explaining circumstances to the embassy. Effectively, the conscription is now a 'mark' to keep people inside even after the war. I concur completely that mobilization was highly predictable but I still feel horrible for those who could not find ways to leave - after all, we here on VJ have heard the many struggles with trying to get residency elsewhere.

 

How is it that the border lines to Finland, Kazakhstan, and Georgia are so full? Are certain regions enforcing the mobilization but not putting a stop on people leaving until a certain date?

 

 

[Lynxyonok 316]

3 minutes ago, slavaskii said:

One additional consideration, is that anyone conscripted right now could face a permanent bar to getting either a Schengen or US visa. Considering we ask, explicitly, on the DS-160 (presumably DS-260 as well?) for prior military service, any male 18+ in Russia right now is going to have a really difficult time explaining circumstances to the embassy. Effectively, the conscription is now a 'mark' to keep people inside even after the war. I concur completely that mobilization was highly predictable but I still feel horrible for those who could not find ways to leave - after all, we here on VJ have heard the many struggles with trying to get residency elsewhere.

 

How is it that the border lines to Finland, Kazakhstan, and Georgia are so full? Are certain regions enforcing the mobilization but not putting a stop on people leaving until a certain date?

 

 

Not just males.

 

Females also can find themselves in war-critical positions.

 

I happened to engage to a map-maker. 😕

 

P.S. A later edit.

 

Some countries bordering Russia may be "convinced" to allow STEM- or War-critical talent to slip through.

 

But us commoners won't know who and where.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Lynxyonok

[Boiler 43,604]

On 9/20/2022 at 12:57 PM, Boiler said:

The 4 occupied areas voted 99.2% in favour of joining Russia, seems no way back.

🗞️The results of fake referendum in the occupied parts of Ukraine:
#Luhansk Obl. - 98.42% in favor of joining Russia
#Donetsk Obl. - 99.23% in favor
#Zaporizhzhia Obl. - 93.11% in favor
#Kherson Obl. - 87.05% in favor

 

They should have asked me saved a bunch.

[TBoneTX 43,254]

1 minute ago, Boiler said:

87.05% in favor

The remaining 12.95% are toast, when Putin finds out.

[Boiler 43,604]

Just now, TBoneTX said:

The remaining 12.95% are toast, when Putin finds out.

I would be more worried if I was the Returning Officer.