A Russian man has set himself ablaze at a bus stop to avoid fighting on the Ukrainian frontline. The incident took place on Sunday, September 25, at a bus stop in the city of Ryazan in the western Russian region of the same name. The man was believed to have shouted “I don’t want to go to the frontline!” before setting himself on fire in front of stunned onlookers, local reports on Monday said. He was also seen laughing and “behaving inappropriately” before the shocking incident. The man suffered severe burn injuries to around 90 per cent of his body before police officers managed to extinguish the flames. He was then taken to a nearby hospital, but there have been no further updates on his current condition.
In the video footage, the man is seen walking in front of a small crowd of onlookers while pouring flammable liquid over his upper body. He then appears to set himself alight with his other hand and his body erupts in a large fireball. At the end of the clip, he is seen running away while completely engulfed in flames.
The incident followed Putin’s announcement to partially mobilise army reserves in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with plans to send an additional 30,000 recruits into battle. Explaining that the Russian military is operating across a frontline of over 1,000 kilometres as well as fighting “the entire military machine of the collective West.” Putin said: “I consider it necessary to make the following decision, which is fully appropriate to threats we face." Russian human rights activists have reported that hundreds, possibly thousands, of recruits are resisting orders to serve on the Ukrainian frontline.
Since Putin’s partial mobilisation announcement, thousands of military age men have attempted to flee the country to avoid being sent to fight in Ukraine. Within hours, Russia's borders were gridlocked with young men desperately trying to dodge the draft. According to US estimates, the Russo-Ukraine war, which began back in February, has already claimed roughly 70 to 80,000 Russian lives.
More than 1,000 people were seized as police and protesters clashed in Moscow. Outrage over the recruitment drive has resulted in some sinister protests, with some citizens committing arson, and even resorting to shooting officers. With only a handful of destinations available to fly to due to sanctions, prices from Moscow to approved countries have skyrocketed - with a one-way flight to Peru costing as much as £14,900.
