'They're Willing to Risk Ruining Their Lives.' Putin's War Is Driving Russians Out.
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Excellent Times article excerpt:
The eyes of the world are focused on the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s brutal invasion. But Russians are fleeing their own country too, at a speed most likely not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are running not from foreign bombs but from their own government. Rumors of impending martial law, closed borders, conscription and punitive military service have fueled panic. Amid state shutdowns of almost all of the last major independent media outlets and the announcement of draconian punishment for any coverage or criticism of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, tens or even hundreds of thousands of members of Russia’s liberal intelligentsia and political opposition are scrambling to escape.
Many have already headed to Georgia and Armenia, two major visa-free destinations accessible now that Russian airlines have been banned from most Western airspace. Some have gone to Central Asia, where they are packing hotels in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, or to the Asian and Middle Eastern countries that do not require visas. Others lucky enough to have Schengen visas have rushed west by car and train. The number of routes out of the country is shrinking, and the price of plane tickets has risen. A social media channel offering advice on “emigration from Russia to the free world” already has more than 100,000 members. Some Russian passport offices appear to be overwhelmed.
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