Moscow, 25 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) — Officials working for the Moscow City Administration and federal authorities in the capital are fleeing partial mobilization, according to a media report. "In some departments [of the Moscow City Administration], the number of male employees who have left Russia amounts to 20% to 30% of all employees," Vyorstka webite reported. IT specialists in particular have fled to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the report said. That is because many civil servants, especially at the lower administrative level, are not protected from being called up, as they do not count as being "indispensable," the report said. The death of a departmental head from Moscow City Hall in Ukraine a few days after the Russian partial mobilization not only made national headlines but also caused panic among his colleagues. The report said the exodus has paralyzed work in several departments, citing the housing administration and the departments for health and education. Institutions subordinate to federal ministries have also noticed the effects of staff shortages. The political and military leadership promised several groups of Russian citizens that they will be exempt from conscription, particularly IT experts. However, proving this status is a lengthy bureaucratic process. The Russian authorities have not officially commented on the report of officials fleeing.