Someone postet this on facebook, I will share it:

How to get money in Russia 2.0
I already made a post about the koronapay App, - https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd5SDVQAtkY/ - but that way you always have to go to a Bank, have a lot of cash with you, and if you need more money, you have to get the hole process again.
So, here we go come to the more userfrindly Version:
tinkoffbank , - tinkoff.ru/sl/3fA1bSYQqGH - is a bank in Russia where you can apply online in the app, get a MIR Creditcard in 1-2 days, the best part is they deliver them where you are by courier, you can chose the place and time to get it.
So, 2 3 days before you cross the border, order one inside the app.
You can switch to English inside the app, so it’s easy to get use of it.
Just go into Koronapay
Use: send Money to Card
Enter your Tinkoff MIRCard
The money is INSTANT on the MIR Card
The good thing on Tinkoff, you get a lot of Cashbacks
You don’t have to wait 3 weeks for a card like on other banks
You don’t have to make the hole registration part like with Koronapay on every bank where you want to withdrawal money
No Cash with you the hole time
Much easier to get fuel, cause you don’t have to go back in to GasStation to pay again
The most important, no rolling Eyes from cashier, cause in Russia EVERYBODY is paying by card

Good $$ solution for transactions in Russia for now?
 

>>>>>>>>>>>


Like many others the the sanctions on foreign transactions grounded myself to any possible travel through the Stans and returning through Russia this year. I looked around some of the Tinkoff MIR card solutions suggested above and it does look like a viable solution. Would love to hear any real world experiences using this solution.
For some context look at this:

https://www.russia-briefing.com/news...accounts.html/

Dan

" In 1999/2000, I travelled the length of Africa with only cash USD. If "adventure" travel was meant to be easy, everyone would be doing it. 99.9% only make it as far as Starbucks, where PIPs are occasional still accepted. "

Same here.
I had cash for over one year of travel stuffed in my money belt and the frame of my bike. This was back in 1994/1995, and we all had to do it.
I still keep the habit of carrying wads of USD wherever I go, I kind of feel naked travelling without them :innocent:

I've always felt that the general population often doesn't support the actions of their government, and I shared the same view as some of those who commented below, surely most Russians must be more aware of world events and cynical about Russian government propaganda.

But then I read this article explaining the Russian psyche and world view. The ingrained views made me somewhat depressed. Even if Russia loses the UA war, how do you get the citizens to accept this?

It's interesting to note that apart from the 1st Tank Army and 45th Spetsnaz Brigade, most of the RU forces in UA are NOT from Moscow or other rather more enlightened areas. Instead RU is throwing in troops from the far east and the boondocks.

In my somewhat small personal survey of Russian conscript soldiers maning border posts in the west of Russia with borders to Estonia (they came from Far East Russia) and in and out of Mongolia and Kazakhstan to Altai (they came from Moscow and Kaliningrad: I could even speak German to them), it seems to be policy to send these young lads as far as possible from home (control/ divide and conquer?).

The same sort of poor lads who were/are sent as cannon fodder to fight highly motivated and dug in Ukrainian defenders who are on home soil and know the geography of their homeland?

An aside: In 2000 on my trans Africa bike trip, the Egyptian conscript soldiers on the streets of Cairo (quite far north in Egypt) all seemed to come from the south of the country. They also didn't have bullets in their guns (apparently reducing the likelihood of assassination attempts on their military and political leadership... Makes perfect sense to me :D :rofl:. )

Of course. Young men from Moscow/SPb will have better things to do with their life than get killed in Ukraine - even if they support the war. Most of the troops come from depressed areas where people have no economic prospects. They can spend their life working on a farm or a sawmill for 300-500 USD per month, or they can sign an army contract and get ten times that, for the time they survive. And if they die, well, their family gets a compensation payout and can buy a brand-new Lada.

The Russian authorities remember the wars they lost very well (Afghanistan, the First Chechen War), and know that they can only maintain a high level of public support as long as most of the civilian public can tell themselves that only their neighbors will be impacted, not they themselves. They are too smart to get caught up in it, they won't sign a contract, or will pay a bribe to avoid conscription... The rulers are only in danger when they have to introduce general mobilization and everyone's got a chance of being thrown into a meatgrinder for no good reason.

Yup, exactly. The purpose of army garrisons in Russia has always been at least partially to put down local unrest when needed, so the soldiers need to have no personal ties to the "townies" that they might be ordered to beat or shoot.

A few years ago there was a near-uprising in the Far East, around Vladivostok, where the central authorities had to fly in riot police from Western Russia - the local cops refused to go and beat up and tear-gas the protesters like they are expected to.

The rulers are only in danger when they have to introduce general mobilization and everyone's got a chance of being thrown into a meatgrinder for no good reason.[/QUOTE]

Exactly.
Or when/if the country gets broke if the war drags on like in Afghanistan ( probably the main reason that caused the implosion of the USSR ).
Russia's coffers seem pretty full right now, but who knows.

I have to say that in the months since I posted this, I have changed my views considerably, partly because of interactions with Russian friends, or at this point ex-friends, and partly because it has become blatantly obvious that most Russians simply don't WANT to know what is happening in Ukraine.

You can't really even blame propaganda at this point, because there have been so many reported incidents where parents refuse to believe their own adult children when they say they are being bombed by Russia in Ukraine. not to mention all of the Russians outside of Russia who support the war. Roughly speaking, I've concluded that there is something deep in the Russian psyche which craves a "great Russia," and many Russians are willing to undertake rather impressive mental gymnastics to get them there.

Very sad time for me, a lifelong Russophile. No more.

Yes.
Sad state of things.
It's like finding out your best friend is a bully.
That's what a lack of ' democratic behavior ' ( for lack of better term ) does to a people.
We haven't reached rock bottom yet, unfortunately...

Very sad. Without wanting to deliberately invoke Godwin's Law :innocent:, there are distinct parallels between Russia today to a different European country in the first half of the 20th Century (run by a populist with a Charlie Chaplin 'tash; sorry his name eludes me at the mo' :D ) who was able to persuade many of his (easily persuadable?) population to believe there should be a greater version of his country.

From the then National Anthem, as used between 1922 and 1945
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt

The Maas is in the Netherlands, Memel in Lithuania, Belt in Denmark and Etsch in Italy.

In today's world there are plenty of other countries who have been/ are being run by delusional populists. No need to name check them. We know who they are...

Are (some/many/all) humans so easy to be hoodwinked?

Mixed emotions on reading this. It can't be easy finding out a favourite country isn't what you thought it was, but thanks for coming back and reporting.

It's taken me 70 plus years to realise that men are the root cause of so much angst, from bullying, fighting, thieving, murder and genocide. However the saving grace might yet be the number of senior politicians in the countries immediately surrounding Russia that are women, most of whom are incredibly impressive...

Maia Sandu, President Moldova;
Natalia Gavriliţă, Prime Minister, Moldova;
Zuzana Čaputová, President, Slovakia;

Sanna Marin, Prime Minister, Finland; 

Magdalena Andersson, Prime Minister, Sweden;

Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister, Lithuania; 

Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister, Estonia;
Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister, Denmark;
Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister, Ukraine;
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, exiled leader Belarus opposition

I've long held that having women in senior positions leads to fewer wars. Not sure where Liz Truss might fit in this, but anyone who gets up Lavrov's nose can't be all bad.

Not sure I can agree it is "interesting" in any meaningful way. How is that different from us? How many Londoners fought in Iraq and Afghanistan? They come from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, Cornwall, Lancs ... the poorer regions. And the US military? Massively overweight in ethnic minorities from lower socio economic groups. So how are the Russians different in any interesting way? Its naturally socially and economically more attractive for people in less developed regions / groups to join the military - in any country

I would similarly be pretty sure that very few of the regular enlisted men in the Peoples Liberation Army come from Shanghai or Beijing as well. Thats just natural forces at play. There are far more attractive economic opportunities available to kids growing up in big cities, that applies equally to whether or not they are British, Russian, Chinese, American or French.

It's been exactly like that since long before Iraq or Afghanistan too. The WW1 and WW2 war memorials in the north of England, Scotland, Wales and N Ireland tell their own story. One example of many that was close to my former home: https://www.yorkshire-guide.co.uk/ni...-memorial.aspx

A personal anecdote: My father gave up a marine diesel engineer apprenticeship in a ship yard on the River Clyde in Glasgow in the 1950s because the writing was on the wall: He signed up for 22 years in the British Army instead.

If it wasn't for the Nips
Being so good at building ships
The yards would still be open on the Clyde
(From The Post War Dream by Pink Floyd)

Been there, done that, loved it!
I can also agree with Colbatch’s sentiment on where the majority of the force come from
I personally don’t hold the Russian Populace accountable, just the regime running it. I tend to try and not take things at face value.

I am currently in moscow on my bike.

German passport + bike german reg.plate. 30 days Tourist, single entrance.
Documents for visa as required. Health insurane covered by premium membership of
ADAC (German Car Club). Issued within 4 working days, used visa agency.
Passed C19 PCR in Helsinki one day before showing up at border.

Entered from Finland, Vaalimaa. 2022.09.22
Waiting/passing time:
Finland 15 minutes
Russia 90 minutes

No questions asked (both sides) regarding money in/out - just regular russian custom
forms. No C19 check.

As known, no cards working. Get yourself some Rubel before you enter.
Banks in Europe will not help you, I used eBay and russian bus drivers in Helsinki.
No exchange tried in Russia so far.

As all German car insurance agencies I asked refused to cover Russia on a green/white insurance card I helped myself, enhanced an old one using well known software.
No check at the border, not of interest for customs, only needed in traffic check points.
Could not notice any opened border insurance shops.
No advise, you are responsible for yourself.

Things can change quick in these times.
But for now I enjoy

Hey Uwe
What's your itinerary in Russia? Are you heading anywhere near Volgograd? I'm hoping to cross the border around the top of the Caspian Sea, coming from Kazakhstan in less than a week. I have a visa.

Not sure if FB works in Russia, or if you're able to use a VPN to get round any restrictions. We're FB friends and could continue chatting on Messenger there. Or on WhatsApp?

We met in Ulan Bataar in 2012, or was it 2013?

Best
Chris

If you are still in Moscow, let me know. Can do a beer and advise on exchange if required

PM sent

Welp, they got there. Mass mobilization is announced, and now the Russian authorities are preparing to ban men of military age of leaving the country.

During most of the US war in Vietnam, draftees were sent to fight. Protests, riots, political unrest. Nixon cancelled the draft, almost all that stopped. Putin goes from peace at home by using voluntary soldiers to using draftees, all that has started up. For all his faults, Nixon was a genius, Putin is not. I signed up for the Navy to avoid going to the jungle.

Just a short question, what does the draft discussion have to do with the possibility to travel in Russia?

Well if your route out of Russia involves Finland or Georgia you had better be prepared for a long wait - because those avoiding the draft are ducking out of Russia.

Ever had to change routes due to rallies and riots? I miss the smell of tear gas in the morning.

Again, what does this have to do with the actual discussion about traveling in Russia at the moment.

It is possible and it does not depend on drafts or similar

Yesterday, September 28, it was recommended that all US citizens leave, especially those with dual citizenship, as being drafted is possible. Never underestimate what can happen.

Here's the response I wrote just before the forum went down:

Up-to-date knowledge of civil unrest and instability is always relevant to overland travel. For example, I want to know about areas to avoid, activities newly ouside my risk threshold, even subjects I should steer clear of in the presence of inebriated acquaintances. That's as true when it comes to Europe or Asia as it is in Africa, Latin Ameria, or, well, Los Angeles.

What would not be appropriate here is political debate--who's in the wrong, who's in the right, what to do about it, and (sooner or later) which position most closely resembles that of the Nazi party of the 1930s and 1940s.

All of the above IMHO, as usual.

Mark

I agree, but it startet with this, and for this was my question.

And there was draft, but no riots at this time.
Now only small ones in Dagestan.


And a queue is not really something what should be a problem while travelling

Since I was very recently on the ground in Russia I just want to point out there are boat loads of stories, rumours and misinformation coming out about the situation in Russia. Most of these are politically driven claims that appear to be pushing one narrative or the other. In my view, and while it may often be less emotionally satisfying, accurate information is actually far move valuable than spin and propaganda, especially for adventure travellers. I will try to correct some less than fully correct information as it pops up on the thread for the benefit of keeping it (travellers information) real and factual and objective. Anything non factual or objective should be noted as such including sources .... for example ... "there are rumours originating from Ukrainian telegram channels that Russia is preparing to close its borders to men of military age" as opposed to "Russia is preparing to close its border to men of military age". Horizon Unlimited should not be a political narrative bulletin board. People come here for factual information and objective opinions and in a time and area where there is considerable disinformation from all sides, we need to try and keep it real here guys.

This is partly correct. The border crossing with Georgia (there is only one) has long queues. The border crossings with Finland however do not have them. Finnish border guard report increased flow over the border post mobilisation announcement but they also specifically noted that numerous false and misleading videos and stories have been posted concerning the Russia-Finland border. Further, a live assessment of what is happening at the borders can be gleaned from looking at Yandex traffic. Yandex maps are the main navigation system russian car and truck drivers use and like google, yandex uses two way data flow to determine traffic levels. If the average speed of vehicles navigating using Yandex maps is near the speed limit, the route is marked green on their traffic maps. If the average speed of vehicles is very slow on the route, the route will be marked red or even dark red for a full jam / queue situation. Note that parked cars on the side of the road with the navigation app running will result in average traffic speed appearing slower (more red) than in reality. But it is impossible to have a green road not being free and moving at full speed. You cant drive at 80 km/h through a traffic jam. Therefore a green road is a road without jams or traffic. If you want a factual picture of the border crossings, you need therefore to go to verifiable sources - Such as looking at non narrative based mapping app data. Pictures and video are often HIGHLY misleading as they can be from different times and even different locations from those claimed by the poster. Further, the poster of course is trying to convert you to his or her opinion and therefore often manipulates the pictures or video to achieve that - even posting pics taken from other locations or times and not related to the claim in the post. That's what you very often get with Twitter and Telegram stories and info and if you want to keep it real you have to filter thru the spin and refer to verifiable objective info/data where available.

A look at Yandex traffic right now confirms what the Finnish Border Guard have said... there are no jams or queues at any of the three major Russia Finland border crossings at this time. https://yandex.com/maps/?l=trf%2Ctrf...851940&z=10.05

Firstly, Mass mobilisation has NOT been announced. A partial mobilisation has been announced, comprising previous service members only. Strict guidelines for eligibility have been announced confirming that. While the Voenkomat (regional draft offices) have in many cases in the first few days drafted possibly thousands of people outside the guidelines, those drafted in error have been returned and the defence ministry and the general russian press has given the Voenkomat a severe dressing down.

Secondly, the Russian authorities have not announced any plans to ban men of military age leaving the country. There has been nothing more than speculation that such a ban will occur. It may happen in the future, who knows. But it is not fact. It is at this time mere rumour.

In general I guess it is the end of the season, so not many people will be bringing cars or bikes into Russia in the next 6 months. Getting back to the OP's topic about people from NATO countries travelling in Russia ... I have not heard of anyone with valid docs being refused entry. I have heard indirectly (forums and 3rd hand info) that a small percentage of western passport holders are questioned at immigration at entry in the last 3-4 months (seemingly only at airports) and had their phones scanned (to be fair the UK and US have been known to occasionally do this to arriving citizens from hostile countries). I would note however that none of the many expats I personally know in Moscow has had that happen to them, so I have no first hand info to confirm that or even second hand info.

The first casualty of war, as ever, is truth.

If you claim to be the source of truth here, correcting others, then you would do well to stop assuming where others' information is coming from.

Correct, insofar as the Finnish border previously required a valid Schengen visa for Russian citizens to cross. Finland had already significantly reduced its own Schengen visa processing capacity for Russians, and as of the end of September, Russian citizens are not allowed into Finland even if they have valid Schengen tourist visas. (Finnish national broadcaster quoting Finnish government sources, NOT a Ukrainian telegram channel.)

And yes, if you are an EU/US/UK passport holder currently in Russia, you can get out via the Finnish, Norwegian, Latvian or Estonian border crossings easily enough. Less so if you try to get out via the Georgian, Kazakh or Mongolian borders (where Russian passport holders don't need visas, so there have been long queues).

A "partial" mobilization that is not legally restricted in size. The relevant article (#7) of the signed bill is top secret. Here is the relevant Ukrainian telegram group for you: Указ «Об*объявлении частичной мобилизации в*Российской Федерации» • Президент России

Also, the definition of "previous service member" here includes anyone who's done conscript service, which means almost every male citizen of Russia over 18, plus the women in militarily relevant professions, so doctors and nurses. (Reservists in the sense of people who have actively signed up to be in an army reserve, undergo regular refresher training and be called up if necessary, are the BARS units that have already been on the front lines for months.)

Have they? Because the actual presidential order contains no strict guidelines and no exclusions. There are only a bunch of interviews with the Defense Minister and other government officials, each of whom has their own opinions about who will and won't be called up - but none of it has the force of law, even insofar as that counts in Russia.

Speculation by credible sources in the Presidential Administration (https://meduza.io/news/2022/09/25/is...zhat-iz-rossii).

Furthermore, men of military age who have received draft notices are forbidden from leaving their official place of residence without the written permission of their local Voenkomat (source: the actual law of the Russian Federation, Статья 21. Обязанности граждан, подлежащих призыву на военную службу по мобилизации \ КонсультантПлюс). And the Russian authorities have set up mobile draft notice distribution kiosks at overland border posts.

Thank you for that.

I know personally a few people who ride in Russia at the moment.
And I rather rely on their information then to rumors in a forum

A personal view. I'm currently in Aktau/Kazakhstan and last afternoon/evening/night arranged for my bike that I rode from Bishkek/Kyrgyzstan, via Uzbekistan to here to travel by ferry to Alat/Azerbaijan.

I'll fly to Baku/Azerbaijan in a couple of days to meet up with the bike. Land (and sea) borders into Azerbaijan are closed, but flying in and riding out to Georgia is possible.

All hotels in Aktau are full with Russian men in their 20s and 30s, some with their partners and children too, but mostly single men, some shipping their cars on the same ship as me, although it's currently very windy in the Caspian Sea, so all ships are at anchor, going nowhere. Them and me are flying to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (Russians don't need visas for these countries). Flights are booked out for 2 or 3 weeks in advance.

I've spoken to several of them. They're all educated (IT jocks, engineers etc) and speak English. They are on local social media channels like Telegram where they share their "avoiding-mobilisation experiences". Of course this is possibly all just complete fiction and I should just exclusively follow Yandex traffic information?!

They told me of 40km queues (as in the road is blocked) at the Russia/Georgia border south of Vladikafkas. There is a special lane for buses. The buses get stoned if they try to travel along it ("queue jumping"), so they just sit on the queue instead.

I have a valid Russian visa in my German passport, but chose to take the ferry/ fly option. Because:

The riding on my 650 thumper has been mind chillingly boring for the past 3000km. My tyres are nicely squared off already... I couldn't face more thousands of straight line slabbing around the top of the Caspian Sea, and I genuinely can't be ar$ed with the disaster of the stretch between Atyrau and Astrakhan.

Will the Russians even let me in, considering the EU was allegedly stopping Russians with valid Schengen visas getting in? Reciprocity etc. Do I want to chat with Russian uniformed types as to what I'm doing on the country if I do get in?

I'm not planning to ride to Finland. My destination is Bulgaria.

I'm particularly not keen to get involved in the border situation entering Georgia from Russia. While I pretty much wrote the manual creative riding (Cairo 1999 for example, palming off an Egyptian policeman (he was very slight in stature and crumpled :mchappy: ) trying to stop me riding 200 meters the wrong way up a one way street :funmeteryes: ) , negotiating 40km of p!ssed off Russians of conscription age isn't my idea of fun and giggles.

So, insha'Allah, me and Engelberta, the Humperthumper, will be Georgia sooner than later and I'll probably park the bike in Armenia and fly back to Bulgaria. Then return next early summer and ride the lovely biking friendly Armenian and Georgian mountains before taking the Turkish TET west to mi casa en BG.

I'm in the market for tyres in Tiblisi :D

I know 4-5 people first-hand that this has happened to at airports in the last few months, mostly US or British citizens. Detentions of 2-6 hours (mostly sitting around waiting and some level of interrogation) and phone scans/copies. I don't know anyone that has crossed the land border this year.

VERY well said Walter, and thanks for the informative post!

:thumbup1:

I've never been to Russia. So I have no authority on it whatsoever. But it's not wise to assume that all is well with travellers.

I was at the Armchair adv festival a couple of weeks ago and watched the presentation by Charlie Walker.

He was minding his own business travelling in Siberia. And then thrown into jail for spying and speading lies. All false.

He was extremely lucky to get out. You're 100% on your own if anything goes downhil. There are zero relations with the home-office.

Maybe it will be fine. Maybe you'll be made a political pawn. It's not a risk I'd take at the moment. So I'm heading to Central America next week.

Worth a read.

https://explorersweb.com/isolation-c...putins-russia/

Yes money is a problem cards do not work you have to do currency exchange and carry enough cash. I have gone from KZ to Finland in June and from Georgia to Central Asia in July and that was the biggest issue.

I was not able to get insurance when I got in and russian bikers told me that b/c of sanctions insurance companies stopped insuring motorcycles; so they ride without it. Fines are pretty minimal if you get stopped or so they say.

Surprisingly my US phone worked didn't have to get local SIM card. Population was pretty friendly except for one Karen hotel manager but that could happen anywhere/anytime.

My suggestion stick to big border x-ing if you get flagged for additional checks they're much more business-like; on small x-ings if you get marooned for military background or looking too fit you may have to wait for tier-2 guys take an hour+ to arrive from nearest town and then take sweet time talking to you.

Missed you in Bishkek. Didn't know there is anyone else here this time of year. Apart from Russians in their 20-30s filling the hotels.

For sure hotels in major cities in Kazakh and Kyrgyzstan are full. Prices are a bit nuts due to the Russian exodus. Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Armenia and Georgia are very popular due to 1) there are flights and or direct borders 2) everyone speaks Russian 3) no visas required. 4) lower living costs than Russia.

Again that's all reasonably verifiable by looking at 3rd party data sources like booking.com. The fact the hotels are full doesn't mean there are border queues where yandex maps shows it is green. As mentioned earlier. There is a notorious queue at the Georgian border. If you are headed to Georgia Chris I would consider going via Dagestan - Azerbaijan. Then from Azerbaijan to Georgia to avoid the Georgia -Russia border.

But do also take telegram channels (even Russian ones of how to cross borders), with some degree of a grain of salt. Everyone has a habit of embellishing their own stories and without moderators the truth is easily lost in "war stories" told by those who have done it, telling stories to the wide-eyed noobs. A 2 km queue can easily turn into a 20 km when retold to an easily impressed captive audience. Telegram and Twitter are largely anonymous so the veracity of information is generally very low, especially if the audience is already heavily emotionally engaged.

When I flew Moscow to Bishkek (same date I wrote the previous post) while the internet was awash with all manner of stories (mainly telegram and Twitter based) that turned out to be false such as 40 km queues at the Mongolian border, 35 km queues at the Finnish border etc) so I was surprised to see the aeroplane was in fact not full with 20-30 year old IT guys but actually was pretty normal - businessmen, Kyrgyz families with kids, old babushkas. Hotels in Bishkek however were filling up fast and prices skyrocketing. Cafes in Bishkek were and still are full of ethnic Russian guys on iMacs - I assume many are working remotely.

Also worth noting if anyone is travelling in KG and is put off by the likely expensive and hard to come by hotel vacancies in Bishkek in the present and coming weeks, if you get out of Bishkek and into the hills, there isn't a Russian IT soul around. Even in the tourist town of Karakol it's business as usual, with prices their normal low level and no shortage at all of accommodation. (Again totally verifiable on Booking.com)

Wasn't intending to have a go at you personally. I was noting that there is a LOT of disinformation coming from sources in whose interests it is to spread disinformation therefore everything should be correctly sourced and not proclaimed as fact. It is our interest as a source of travellers information to stick as closely as possible to fact and not to cherry pick and embellish very biased news sources.

For example:
In the comment below you claim it was a "credible" source in the administration, via Medusa, for the claim Russia was about to close its borders.. I would note the following:

1) medusa is an opposition news media aggregator. It is very often not the source of it own stories, nor is it able to fact check them. Further it has a vested interest in promoting stories with a very strong political agenda.
2) medusa as far as I can see never claimed in the article that the source was "credible". They never used that term at all. It merely stated "a source in the administration".
3) the source claimed borders would close after the 4 regional referenda on joining Russia, and in fact named a date - September 28 - for the closing of Russia's borders to men of military age.

Bearing in mind it is now October 10, I put it to you that this source appears to be "not credible" and therefore the whole story (based on this source) is not credible and may very well be a made up non existent source, to justify running a made up story - very common in journalistic practice when pushing an agenda - claim a credible insider deep throat source that has to remain anonymous, and you can get away with creatively writing any made up story.

Again we don't know what will change in the future but as at the date of your post, it was not right to have claimed seemingly definitively that "Russia is preparing to close its borders." (Even more so with the unwritten expectation of Sept 28). I said it at the time and I say it again. It was nothing more than a rumour - at that time and indeed still now a couple of weeks later. Just because a fringe news agency promotes a story doesn't make it true.

I won't go into detail re the other points. It suffice to say that allegations of the existence of secret hidden paragraphs in Russian govt legislation, and what those hidden paragraphs allegedly contain are highly dubious. Especially when those allegations are coming from the Ukrainian govt, which not only has a very strong vested interest in spreading civilian panic and discontent in Russia but has a pretty strong track record for misinformation since February (Ghost of Kyiv etc). Indeed any govt in a conflict has a extremely strong incentive to spread disinformation to the "enemy" population. That's just reality. So stories originating or strongly promoted by opposing sources ... Well that's not credible stuff. That not stuff anyone should be alleging is "fact". It might be "emotionally satisfying" to believe that stuff, but that doesn't make it fact. Stories like that potentially may be true - nothing rules that out - but there is more than enough reasons to be very skeptical and that rules out purporting that it is established fact.

I just think we need to be a lot more critical about what we believe is true and to understand the motives behind each 2nd and 3rd hand source of information we use / refer to. (Lets be clear I dont expect anyone on the HUBB to be a first hand source and personally have access to alleged secret paragraphs in Russian Govt legislation - so talking about it like it is fact is simply not credible) As I noted in my post a few weeks ago, there is LOT of disinformation out there and this thread demonstrates how deeply it penetrates.

Walter
You suggested crossing from Dagestan to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan land and sea borders are closed to all foreigners since Covid started. They still are for entry, today.

I flew Aktau/KZ last Friday night/ Sat morning to Baku/AZ. Delivered bike last Monday to Kuryk/KZ port. It left there on Wednesday, when there was a gap in the wind for ferry to enter/exit the port. It arrived Friday evening at Alat/AZ and I fetched it from the port on Saturday afternoon (the day before yesterday). It was in the same condition and un-tampered with, despite being loaded/unloaded by some burly Azeri docker/ seafarer or two.

I'm in Ganja/AZ (with a name like that, I had to stay here :rofl: ) tonight and crossing AZ/Georgia tomoz. Foreigners (and their vehicles) are allowed out...

Sorry to the pedants (not really :innocent: ) : Nothing in this reply has directly to do with the RUS/UKR situation. Maybe I'll travel to Russia again, or maybe I won't. I have incredibly fond memories of my 2013 western BAM and on to Magadan trip, but riding the Russian/Kazakh/Uzbek Steppe is something I don't ever have/want to do (again). There are too many other far better riding regions in the world, imho.

PS. Shame I missed you in Bishkek. I was there from 7 to 11 September and had to cross from Osh to Uzbekistan in order to be able to do some shifty business to get my bike out, which was between one and two years overtime (depending on if you include the year's extension everyone got beyond the TIP expiry date due to Covid). I wrote an abridged version of what happened on my Facebook. :mchappy: Full description only if plied with piva bier

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...igners/2689055

Russia prepares to ease visa rules for foreigners