The number of Russian citizens who have left their country since the start of the full-scale war and who have not returned home is estimated at 666,000, a study by The Bell media outlet has found.
Russians have been fleeing mainly to the so-called visa-free destinations Armenia (110,000), Kazakhstan (80,000) and Georgia (74,000).
The Bell estimates that around 80,000 Russians have moved to Israel and around 48,000 to the US.
In the United States, Russian citizens are seeking asylum in large numbers, the publication said.
Among European Union (EU) member states, the largest numbers of Russian citizens have moved to Germany (36,000), Latvia (18,000), Spain (16,000) and the Netherlands (12,000).
Serbia is the leading non-EU European country, with around 30,000 Russians settled there.
Turkey has become another popular destination for Russians since the beginning of 2022.
However, many Russians have recently left the country, mainly because their residence permits are not being renewed and life in Turkey has become more expensive due to the protracted economic crisis.
As at July 2024, the number of Russians with Turkish residence permits in the country had increased by 28,000 compared to the beginning of 2022.
It is not known exactly how many Russian citizens have fled their country because of the war that Moscow has launched against Ukraine.
The Russian authorities do not officially disclose data on how many citizens have left since the war began and how many have returned.
Experts interviewed by The Bell believe that the current wave of emigration will have an impact on Russia’s economy, demography, science and culture.
Source: BNS
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