Rising Russian Emigration Concerns

Russian Citizens Continue Fleeing Abroad Amid Rising Mobilization Fears And Internet Restrictions

Russian citizens are fleeing Russia due to fears of a new mobilization and a loss of freedom, according to a group that helps citizens who flee abroad. The group received nearly eight times more queries last month than it had in May due to concerns about internet restrictions. This is not the first exodus from Russia in 2022, when hundreds of thousands fled in the first year of the full-scale invasion. Recent Ukrainian drone attacks have caused an unprecedented fuel crisis and severely impacted the e-commerce sector. However, unlike previous times, there are no lines at border crossings or shortages of plane tickets to visa-free destinations like Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and officials in Kyiv have claimed Russia is planning another mobilization after the State Duma election. The Kremlin has rejected these claims.