Some Russians have left the country this year amid rumors of a new mobilization of troops for the war in Ukraine as well as a crackdown on their personal freedoms This summer, a 28-year-old digital content marketer packed up his suitcases and duct-taped boxes and fled Russia, leaving behind his family and friends and not knowing when he'll be able to return. "It is very sad to leave Russia,” he said in the southern city of Krasnodar before heading for the border with Georgia. He blamed “the political situation” in Russia and complications over authorities restricting internet access as his reasons for leaving.
Otherwise, “I never would have left for more than several months,” he told The , speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. He is one of a number of people who either left or are contemplating a move amid recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia and persistent rumors of a coming mobilization of troops for the 4 1/2-year-old war. The attacks this summer caused an unprecedented fuel crisis and dealt crippling blows to the booming e-commerce sector.
Since last year, the government has cited the attacks to justify harsh restrictions on connecting to the internet. The exodus is nowhere near as large as in 2022, when hundreds of thousands fled in the first year of the full-scale invasion. Still, a group that helps citizens who flee abroad said it received nearly eight times more queries last month than it had in May.
Unlike 2022, when droves of men fled a partial call-up for the military, there are no lines at border crossings or shortages of plane tickets to visa-free destinations like Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey at the moment. At the same time, AP found numerous social media videos from all over Russia of people saying they had decided to leave, citing war-related reasons. Others were worried about the declining economy, an uncertain future and shrinking freedoms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in Kyiv have said Russia is planning another mobilization after the State Duma election that concludes Sunday — claims the Kremlin has repeatedly and vehemently rejected. Yan Slovitsky, an urgent assistance coordinator for Kovcheg, described “a panicked wave” of emigration since mid-July linked to mobilization fears, the fuel crisis and internet restrictions. A Moscow-based diplomat told AP about “a palpable rise in public anxiety this summer,” and pointed to “anecdotal evidence of higher than usual numbers of Russians appearing in neighboring Georgia and Armenia, possibly fearing another mobilization after the Duma elections.” The diplomat was not authorized to comment publicly and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.
Alen Simonyan, secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, told independent Russian TV channel Dozhd last month that his country “will not interfere in any way, and if necessary, will help” Russians who are moving there to avoid being drafted. That drew a sharp rebuke from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which called Simonyan’s remark “provocative.” Russian lawmaker Viktor Sobolev told the RTVI channel that the country doesn’t need people who “don’t love their Motherland so much that they leave because of rumors,” adding: "Let them leave.” The digital content marketer, who describes himself as a pacifist, says this was his second attempt at emigrating. He left Russia in 2022 to avoid the partial call-up of 300,000 new troops, an announcement by President Vladimir Putin that shocked the nation.
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