Thousands of Brits in Russia risk being forced to fight in Ukraine as Foreign Office warns to get out NOW

DUAL British nationals in Russia risk being drafted to fight in Ukraine and should leave immediately, the government has warned.

Around 4,000 Brits are thought to be in Russia, including some dual nationals.

Vladimir Putin is attempting to scramble 300,000 extra soldiers to the Ukrainian frontline after announcing the partial mobilisation of Russian troops.

And the UK has warned Brits could be called up to fight, advising its nationals to leave if their presence was "not essential".

The FCDO said: "British nationals holding Russian passports should be aware that they may be in scope for mobilisation, as the Russian government treats dual nationals with both British and Russian passports as Russian nationals.

"Border crossings and airports have been particularly busy since September 21. Allow extra time if you are travelling."

The US Embassy in Moscow has also warned: "Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ US citizenship, deny their access to US consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service."  

The Embassy urged US citizens and tourists to leave "immediately while limited commercial travel options remain".

As Putin's calamitous war continues to falter with Moscow losing ground on the battlefield, the desperate despot has called up more conscripts to bolster efforts in Ukraine.

But many Russian men have been desperately looking for ways to avoid Putin's draft to stop themselves from being sent to die in Ukraine.

The panic comes amid reports the Kremlin might soon shut Russian borders to stop men of fighting age leaving.

Men have reportedly been hastily getting married or registering themselves as carers for elderly children in a bid to get out of the war - with some reported to have broken their own arms to escape the draft.

And there have been huge tailbacks at the borders and a rush to buy flights out of Russia as men try to flee the Kremlin's grip.

Shocking footage even showed one man setting himself on fire at a railway station in Ryazan, 110 miles southeast of Moscow, to avoid being sent to the frontline.

Another stomach-churning video showed the moment a Russian man deliberately broke his leg in a desperate attempt to avoid being shipped off to Ukraine.

Women have been leading protests against the mass mobilisation in Russia's Dagestan region, with footage showing wives and girlfriends clashing with cops as they tried to stop their men being dragged away.

Taking to the streets, they chanted: "Don't let them take our men!"

As tensions boil over, videos show protesters squaring up to police, with officers reportedly resorting to using stun guns and batons on the furious crowds.

More than 100 people were arrested during the protests, OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights monitor said.

According to OVD-Info, brave locals in the village of Endirey blocked a main road to try and stop conscription chiefs coming to the area.

Footage showed cops firing automatic rifles in the air as they tried to break up the crowd - but defiant residents continued to block the road.

Putin signed the decree on the partial mobilisation last week.

It is Russia's first such mobilisation since World War Two - signifying a major escalation of the war, now in its seventh month.

But recently-conscripted fighters in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine are said to be surrendering in their droves, and humiliating footage has emerged of drunken conscripts fighting each other as they were packed into school buses.

Rusted guns and 60-year-old tanks are being handed to demoralised conscripts who prefer to surrender than fight.

And mobilised men are expected to receive just two weeks of training before being shipped off to Ukraine, compared to the six months minimum training which is usually provided.