Hanna, thanks.
There's no other way Peter could use to escape from the Union other than get to Minsk. Moscow or something seem just impossible. He would've been caught, interrogated and executed in a wink of an eye on the way there. So I'll better adjust the plot so that Ann wouldn't know if there is a consulate in Minsk and would just hope there is. I'll also find a better way how she got the newspapers because it sounds hardly possible. If you keep an eye on the story, her mum could have sent them to her too keep her English up to date.