About 98,000 Russians have crossed into Kazakhstan in the week since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of reservists to fight in Ukraine, Kazakh officials said.

On Saturday, police deployed in force in the cities where protests were scheduled by opposition group Vesna and supporters of jailed opposition leader, Alexei Navalny

Military-aged men fled Russia in droves on Friday, filling planes and causing traffic jams at border crossings to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine following the Kremlin’s partial military mobilisation.