Shocking footage highlights major flaw in Putin's plan: 'Playtime's over'

A mob of angry and dejected Russian reservists have been filmed yelling and arguing with a military officer after being recruited to fight in the war with Ukraine.

The chilling footage — posted on Twitter by US ABC journalist Patrick Reevell — shows some of the men sitting with their heads in their hands inside what appears to be a large meeting hall.

Others can be heard screaming at the commanding officer in frustration.

“Another revealing video. Scene inside a mustering station in Russia where an officer yells at angry, resentful men who have been mobilised,” Mr Reevell captioned the clip.

“That’s it — playtime’s over. You’re soldiers now!” he quotes the translated video.

The footage begins with the commanding officer telling off the recruits for “screaming like women”.

“Shut your mouths and act accordingly. Why are you all yelling?!” he continues.

“Why are YOU yelling,” one of the men in the crowd shouts back, prompting most of the group to erupt in loud chatter.

After jumping down off the stage, the officer tells the group they “all are now military men”.

“That’s it! The games are over! You are all military!” he says before explaining that the men will spend three days at the facility before flying to two weeks of training.

“Salary is like for a contractor, officer or praporshik, depending on your rank.

“Combat payments, statues of a combat veteran, until the end of the special operation, then arrival home.”

The officer also tells the men that their positions at their normal jobs will be held until they return.

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Zelenskiy urges Russians to 'avoid draft orders'

The video comes after tragic scenes emerged earlier this week as 300,000 members of the public were conscripted into the Kremlin's war effort in Ukraine.

Videos showing crying family members saying goodbye to their loves ones as they leave to join the military effort have begun circulating widely on social media.

However, a major flaw in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan has been revealed as military-aged men flee the country in droves, filling planes and causing traffic jams at border crossings to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine.

Queues stretching for 10km formed on a road leading to the southern border with Georgia, according to Yandex Maps, a Russian online map service.

The lines of cars were so long at the border with Kazakhstan that some people abandoned their vehicles and proceeded on foot.

Meanwhile, dozens of flights out of Russia — with tickets sold at sky-high prices — carried men to international destinations such as Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, where they don’t need visas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — who has slammed Putin’s attempt to formally annex large parts of eastern Ukraine — has encouraged Russians to resist efforts to mobilise them to fight.

“Hide from Russian mobilisation in any way you can. Avoid draft orders. Try to move to the territory of free Ukraine,” he said, urging those who did end up in the Russian armed forces to "sabotage," "interfere" and pass on intelligence to Ukraine.

With Reuters and AP

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