Moscow [Russia], July 17: At least 650,000 Russians have moved abroad permanently since the beginning of the war of aggression against Ukraine, according to a media report.
Most of the refugees have emigrated to Armenia (110,000), Kazakhstan and Israel (80,000 each), according to the independent internet portal The Bell. Russians do not need a visa to enter these countries.
Germany is also a favoured destination for Russian refugees, with an increase of more than 36,000 people. There is no official information from Moscow on the number of people who have left the country.
The Bell claims to have made the calculations based on data from migration authorities. In total, data from more than 70 countries was included in the calculation, such as newly issued residence permits or applications for political asylum.
However, the portal says the data is not complete, as some countries popular with Russians such as Thailand, Azerbaijan and Cyprus have not responded to enquiries.
Other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, to which many Russians also moved after the start of the war, were not included in the calculation.
The Russians who emigrated are likely to include not only opponents of the war, but also many people who do business elsewhere who wish to circumvent sanctions.
The number of war refugees who have fled to Europe is relatively low, partly because the EU quickly closed the borders to Russians.
Source: Qatar Tribune