[OutsiderFan]

I had lunch yesterday with a lawyer friend who has a client from Russia. His wife is a top manager at a museum in a big Russian city and his adult son lived there as well before going to Paris a couple weeks ago to avoid conscription. Last week the son applied for a 3-year visa to the United States. The next day he got called saying something was holding it up. He's thinking "does the Russian government know I'm trying to leave?" As my friend told me, it gets worse.

On Thursday, the son got a call from one of his neighbors saying a uniformed Russian military officer and someone in plain clothes came to his place the other day. Now there is fear the mother and a daughter who lives with her might be at risk. The client is wondering if he should buy a place in Paris and basically seek asylum for he and his son who he knows can't go back to Russia. If he goes back himself he might be at risk, but even if he is fine, he likely won't get his wife and daughter out of Russia. 

I was told men that look like they are of fighting age are basically being kidnapped off the streets and forced to join the war effort. It seems with the economic catastrophe setting in on Russians from sanctions, the mass exodus of people from the country, the mounting war losses, poor morale of those who are suppose to be fighting, Putin's government is on a path to implosion.

[OutsiderFan]

I had lunch yesterday with a lawyer friend who has a client from Russia. His wife is a top manager at a museum in a big Russian city and his adult son lived there as well before going to Paris a couple weeks ago to avoid conscription. Last week the son applied for a 3-year visa to the United States. The next day he got called saying something was holding it up. He's thinking "does the Russian government know I'm trying to leave?" As my friend told me, it gets worse.

On Thursday, the son got a call from one of his neighbors saying a uniformed Russian military officer and someone in plain clothes came to his place the other day. Now there is fear the mother and a daughter who lives with her might be at risk. The client is wondering if he should buy a place in Paris and basically seek asylum for he and his son who he knows can't go back to Russia. If he goes back himself he might be at risk, but even if he is fine, he likely won't get his wife and daughter out of Russia. 

I was told men that look like they are of fighting age are basically being kidnapped off the streets and forced to join the war effort. It seems with the economic catastrophe setting in on Russians from sanctions, the mass exodus of people from the country, the mounting war losses, poor morale of those who are suppose to be fighting, Putin's government is on a path to implosion.