Fearing they will be conscripted into a bloody conflict in Ukraine, thousands of elite students at a leading Russian university say they will quit if not allowed to study remotely abroad.
Around 3,100 people studying at the National Research University of Higher School of Economics in Moscow are demanding a return to online learning, according to reports.
In a move that openly defies Vladimir Putin, this would allow them to study in another country and avoid being called-up to fight against Ukraine.
In theory students are exempt from mobilisation but the protest - which allegedly went public after a group chat was leaked - indicates they do not trust the authorities.
Their threat has outraged pro-war commentators but their move highlights a devastating vote of no confidence in Putin by some of Russia ’s brightest students.
It is the only university in Russia ranked in the top 100 of The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings.
One notable graduate of the HSE is Maxim Oreshkin, 40, Putin’s own economics adviser, who earlier was his Minister of Economic Development.
“More than 3,000 opposition-minded students of the Higher School of Economics cooperated in order to blackmail the administration of the university for the introduction of distance learning,” said pro-Kremlin Readovka channel, which showed the alleged leak of the student demands.
It claimed the students see Putin’s policies as “objectionable” and had threatened “mass resignations” from their elite degree courses if they were barred from online learning from abroad.
Hundreds of thousands of men of military age have already fled Russia after Putin launched a partial mobilisation last week, aimed at army reservists with skills and experience.
As fears grow that this will soon turn into a full-mobilisation, more are seeking to leave.
“The opposition-minded students literally decided to spit in the well to betray their state, but continue to receive its benefits,” complained Readovka.
Other pro-war nationalists frothed at the student action.
The rising tide of protest shows Putin - who will be 70 this week - out of step with many younger Russians who deny his view that Ukraine is full of Nazis and must be invaded using forced mobilisation of civilians.
