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Russian men well past the formal conscription age are being rounded up and forced into the military.

In one instance, a 63-year-old retired lieutenant colonel with diabetes was mobilised. A 51-year-old former lieutenant and a 59-year-old factory foreman were also pressed into service.

Earlier this week, a 59-year-old former lieutenant colonel with arthritis, hearing loss and hernia in the spine was also reported to have received a mobilisation summons.

READ MORE: Putin's draft could upend the deal that kept him in power

Russia's military has been searching for potential soldiers to fill the 300,000 troop quota set by Vladimir Putin last week.

There has been a mass exodus from the country, with potential draftees fleeing over the border into Georgia, Finland and Kazakhstan.

At a checkpoint into Georgia, thousands of people abandoned their cars at the side of the road, eager to cross on foot before Russia closes the border.

Some young Russian men have reported being stopped from leaving the country.

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Meanwhile, conscripts are reporting being sent directly to the front lines without any training at all.

"We've been told officially that we'll go to the combat zone without training," one mobilised serviceman said in a video.

"We're off to Kherson on September 29."

Servicemen have been given uniforms and weapons, but told to source everything else they need themselves.

In one video, a female officer tells new recruits they are only being supplied their uniforms and armour.

READ MORE: Russians flee as conscripts for Ukraine war handed rusty weapons

"Take sleeping bags with you. You will have to sleep where you have to," she said.

"All this applies to medicine, diarrhoea tablets, hydrogen peroxide tourniquets. I don't have enough tourniquets for you."

When she was told by a soldier that pharmacies are out of tourniquets, she told them to find some in car first aid kits.

She then told them to buy tampons and pads to use to absorb the blood from bullet wounds.

An estimated 56,000 Russians have been killed since the invasion of Ukraine began in February.

The Australian government said victims and taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to replace passports for those whose data was compromised in last week's Optus breach.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has written to Optus to confirm if the Australian telecommunications giant will pay for victims of the data breach to replace their passports if they wish to apply for one.

"There is no justification for these Australians – or for taxpayers on their behalf – to bear the cost of obtaining a new passport," she said.

READ MORE: The note Caddick's husband left after raid

"I therefore seek your earliest confirmation that Optus will cover the passport application fees of any customers affected by this breach whose passport information was disclosed and who choose to replace their currently valid passport."

A new 10 year passport costs for anyone over 16 costs $308, while a five year passport is $155.

You can expect to fork out an extra $225 for priority processing.

Last night Optus said it would pay for people affected to get new $29 driving licences in NSW, with other states also announcing measures to help people affected.

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The federal government is considering issuing new Medicare cards for the millions of Australians who had their private details leaked as part of the Optus data breach.

Health Minister Mark Butler told the ABC said earlier the government was considering fast-tracking passport replacements.

There is already a backlog after the pandemic, with lengthy line reported at passport offices. 

The Australian Passport Office was reportedly receiving about 15,000 passport applications a day, even before the hack, from Aussies whose documents had expired.

EXPLAINED: What to do if your details have been hacked in the Optus data leak

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Australians were told petrol prices would immediately jump by more than 20 cents when the federal government's excise cut ends, but data shows drivers have already been slugged with a big hike – despite falling wholesale costs.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said last week a stockpile of 700 million litres, all bought at cheaper rates while the excise was halved, would ensure some price stability once the excise returns to its full rate at midnight tonight.

"This is 700 million reasons why the price should not shoot up by the full 23 cents on the night the excise ends," he said on September 20.

READ MORE: Petrol prices are about to jump up. Here's why

However, while drivers around the country might not be hit with that full price hike tomorrow, it seems it seems retailers around the country have been getting in early with their increases.

Data in the Australian Institute of Petroleum's (AIP) weekly petrol prices report shows fuel costs have shot up by more than ten cents in the week ending Sunday, September 26, even though wholesale prices – the price retailers buy their stock at – have moved in the opposite direction.

The report states the average wholesale price for unleaded petrol in Australia was 150.2 cents per litre for the week ending September 23, down from 152.3 the previous period.

READ MORE: Aussies urged to get to the servo for final day of fuel excise cut

Retail prices, however, rose sharply.

Last week, the average price motorists paid at the bowser for unleaded fuel was 173.9 cents per litre.

The week before, it was 163.5.

The increase was even greater in metropolitan areas, where the weekly increase was 15.2 cents per litre.

In regional areas, that figure was just 0.9.

The AIP report also highlights the difference between wholesale and retail petrol prices is the highest it has been in more than two years, currently sitting at 23.7 cents per litre.

While that gap isn't necessarily solely composed of profits for retailers – the AIP notes it also covers the likes of transport costs, wages, and other administration costs – the NRMA has called on companies to immediately drop their "unacceptably high" prices.

EXPLAINED: What to do if your details have been hacked in the Optus data leak

"Australians know that the excise cut to the wholesale price will be reinstated on Thursday, however prices today are already unacceptably high and we need to see a correction immediately," the NRMA's Peter Khoury said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Australians are already facing cost of living pressures.

"There is no restraint being shown by the oil companies today, so it is critical the excise isn't passed on to customers immediately."

"Had the oil companies been consistent, prices should have fallen off the high point and that fall needs to start now.

"Let's hope more restraint is shown after the reintroduction of the excise than what we've seen this week."

The ACCC has said it is monitoring the fuel price situation for "abnormal movements".

Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said it should take around one to two weeks for the excise increase to be fully passed on to customers, and has promised the body will prosecute anti-competitive behaviour from retailers.

"If there is any indication of anti-competitive conduct, we will investigate it closely, and if there's evidence of it, we will prosecute it."

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