Russian Emigration Interest Doubles Amid Fears of Mobilization This Fall

Interest among Russians in leaving the country has nearly doubled in recent months amid growing fears of a new military mobilization, according to several organizations assisting potential emigrants. Requests for advice on moving abroad have increased from around 70 to 120 a day since July – a rise of about 1.7 times, the Relocats project told the independent Russian outlet Beware News. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Its editor-in-chief, Alexandra Nazarova, said many requests are now urgent, with people seeking “to have time to leave before September-October.” She added that applicants cite the deteriorating situation in Russia, fear of mobilization, fatigue with life in the country, and a desire to “live and work in peace” as key reasons for considering emigration. In search of peace The most popular destinations for relocation were Serbia, Armenia and Georgia, where tens of thousands of Russians have flocked in recent days. Most inquiries come from people under 40, while the project has also seen more requests from people approaching military age and women seeking information about relocating relatives. “The general mood can be expressed in the phrase: ‘we need to prepare a backup plan,’” Nazarova said. The human-rights project Ark also reported a rise in demand for emigration advice, with founder Anastasia Burakova telling the independent Russian outlet Echo that requests had increased by roughly one and a half times over the past three months. Other Topics of Interest Germany Weighs Closing Berlin’s ‘Russian House’ Amid Rising Hybrid Threats Berlin is reviewing the legal basis for Russia’s cultural center as scrutiny grows over espionage, sabotage and hybrid operations. She described the trend as a possible new wave of emigration, although many people are still “testing the waters” rather than leaving immediately. The increased interest comes amid warnings that Russia could launch another large-scale mobilization after parliamentary elections scheduled for September. President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Moscow could seek to mobilize “several hundred thousand Russians” by the end of the year, citing “internal Russian documents” seen by Ukrainian intelligence. Russia has announced only one “partial mobilization” since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in September 2022. But another call-up has become increasingly likely as the Kremlin lags behind its recruitment goals while its casualty rates climb. Analysts say the Kremlin may wait until after the country’s September elections to avoid an unpopular and politically risky move. “Mobilization could provide more soldiers but would bring the war into millions more Russian homes and further strain Russia’s economy,” said Stuart Dowell, TVP World’s political editor. See the original here. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.