And the exodus from the Kremlin has begun

Bloomberg reports that even Kremlin officials and employees at military recruitment centers have started opening accounts abroad in recent months and advising their relatives to leave the country. A European security official, whom Bloomberg did not name, claims that Russia is preparing to recruit an additional 300,000 troops by the end of the year.

Unlike the 2022 mobilization—which sparked panic and a mass exodus—there may not even be an official announcement this time, the agency reports. In the meantime, the Kremlin has established digital infrastructure for sending military call-up notices while simultaneously closing most avenues for leaving the country.

A three-day vote in the parliamentary elections began today—the first such election since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. President Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain the majority it has held since 2003, in elections that Bloomberg describes as being under tight Kremlin control.

It is noted that Russia is suffering heavy losses with minimal territorial gains, although Putin claims that around 700,000 troops are deployed on the battlefield. According to data cited by Bloomberg, based on an analysis by Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Russian regions recruited approximately 234,000 new contract soldiers between January and August, fewer than the 260,000 recruited during the same period last year.

Putin himself dismissed claims of mobilization after the elections as “complete nonsense” and part of a Western information campaign, saying in Vladivostok on September 3: “As far as the availability of military personnel is concerned, we have no problems.”

According to an unnamed source familiar with the situation, around 1,000 Russian soldiers are killed in Ukraine every week, while the quality of new recruits is, according to the source, “extremely low.” The General Staff of Ukraine said on Tuesday that 301,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded since the beginning of the year, with monthly losses of 42,000 in July and August—figures that Bloomberg notes it could not independently verify.

Sanctions take effect after 20 days

Unlike in 2022, Russia’s new unified military registry is automatically linked to tax authorities, police databases, medical records and border control. An electronic mobilization notice is considered delivered seven days after being posted on the government portal, regardless of whether the recipient has seen it, while a ban on leaving the country automatically takes effect as soon as the notice is posted.

Those who fail to report within 20 days face automatic sanctions—ranging from a ban on registering vehicles to being denied access to credit.