Fleeing mobilisation fears, Russians rush abroad as election begins
TL;DR
Russians fearing a new military call-up ahead of the Duma elections are emigrating in increasing numbers, aided by the Ark anti-war project. Requests for relocation have surged, exit bans and electronic summons are being used, and people are primarily moving to visa-free neighbours like Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. The exact scale is unclear but appears smaller than the 2022 exodus, while Kremlin denials of a new mobilisation persist amid ongoing election coverage.
- Russians leave before election ends, fearing mobilisation to follow Euronews.com
- Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 18, 2026 Institute for the Study of War
- Russians Fear Putin Will Send Them to War Once Election Is Over Bloomberg
- Some Russians are fleeing abroad, citing draft fears and a loss of freedom AP News
- Russian officials trying to move assets abroad and open foreign bank accounts amid mobilization rumors, Bloomberg reports Meduza
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