Many young Catholic men are leaving Russia to avoid the military call-up ordered by President Vladimir Putin in his bid to strengthen his forces in Ukraine.

An unidentified “senior Russian priest” told the Catholic News Service that the mobilization has stirred public fears, particularly among those who already opposed the war. He estimated that only 20% of Russia’s Catholics support their country’s offensive, while 40% are firmly opposed and another 40% are “watching to see what happens.”