The government of Kazakhstan is holding talks with Russia on the mass influx of Russian citizens into the country. According to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, about 98,000 Russians have entered the country since the partial mobilisation was declared.
Since 21 September, 64,234 Russians have left the country, acting chairman of the Kazakh interior ministry’s migration service committee Aslan Atalykov said. According to him, a little over 8,000 non-residents have received a unique identification number (UIN) in Kazakhstan. A total of 93,045 Russian nationals have received a UIN in Kazakhstan since 1 April 2022.
“A lot of people from Russia have been arriving in our country for the past several days. The majority of them were forced to leave due to a desperate situation that they ended up in. We must take care of them and ensure their security. This is a political and humanitarian issue,” Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated during a meeting with the public in the Turkistan region.
He stressed that right now, the country must show humanity, patience and organisational skills. He noted that there is no crisis in Kazakhstan and that there is no reason to panic: the arriving citizens will not receive any benefits, but they will be provided with aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial” mobilisation in Russia on 21 September. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that 300,000 people would be drafted in the military during the mobilisation. However, a Meduza source stated that Russia plans to mobilise 1.2 mln people. Another source told Novaya Gazeta. Europe that this number reaches 1 mln. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted both these reports.
