At least 650,000 Russians have moved permanently abroad since the beginning of the military aggression against Ukraine, reported DPA, quoted by BTA.
Most of them emigrated to Armenia (110,000), Kazakhstan and Israel (80,000 each) according to the independent Internet portal "Bel" (The Bel)l. Russians do not need a visa to enter these countries.
Germany is also a preferred destination for Russians, with their number increasing by more than 36,000. There is no official information from Moscow about the number of people who have left the country. "Belle" claims to have made the calculations based on data from the migration authorities. In total, data from more than 70 countries are included in the calculations, such as newly issued residence permits or applications for political asylum.
However, the portal claims that the data is not complete, as some countries popular among Russians, such as Thailand, Azerbaijan and Cyprus, did not respond to queries. Other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, where many Russians also moved after the start of the war, are not included in the calculations.
Among the Russians who emigrated, there are probably not only opponents of the war, but also many people who do business in other places and want to bypass the sanctions, DPA notes.