Belarus poll shows 42 percent back Russia’s military call-up

December 20, BPN. Forty-two percent of respondents in Belarus support Russia’s partial military call-up, an online poll by Chatham House’s Belarus Initiative has revealed.

The initiative’s head Ryhor Astapienia said 34 percent of those polled opposed the draft, and 24 didn’t have an answer.

On the other hand, 39 percent expressed sympathy with Russians fleeing abroad to dodge the draft, while 38 percent were critical of it. Thirty-seven percent supported other ways of draft dodging and the same share disapproved of it.

“Belarusians are divided in their opinion about the partial mobilization in Russia and its citizens’ attempts to evade it,” Belarus Initiative said in a report.