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Surge in Russian Emigration Searches Reaches Highest Level Since Autumn 2022
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In July, online inquiries from Russian citizens regarding emigration reached their highest point since early 2023, while searches related to mobilization nearly tripled over the same period, as reported by The Moscow Times on August 20.
Data from the search platform Yandex shows that the term "relocation" was queried 809,900 times in July compared to 705,700 times in June, marking a record volume since the initial draft in autumn 2022.
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During the same month, searches for the word "leave" rose to roughly 1.3 million, and queries regarding "mobilization" exceeded 3.4 million, representing a 166% increase from June's figure of nearly 1.3 million and the highest level recorded since January 2023.
Searches for visa-free travel destinations also saw a marked rise, with "visa-free" growing by 27% to 171,600 queries in July. The phrase "leave without a visa" set an absolute record since at least January 2023, rising 80% from 1,251 searches in June to 2,253 in July.
Interest in travel to Georgia increased significantly as well, with relevant searches reaching 22,000 in July—more than double the rate observed at the start of the year—amid reports of tens of thousands of Russians heading to the country in recent days.
Organizations that assist with relocation report a corresponding surge in client inquiries. Representatives at the Relocats project noted that citizens are submitting nearly twice as many requests regarding emigration as before.
According to The Moscow Times, Individuals are seeking to leave urgently before September or October due to concerns over a potential new mobilization wave, which American officials and sources in the Kremlin suggest could be announced following the State Duma elections.
European officials have also noted the potential for another mobilization drive, pointing to heavy casualties sustained by Putin's military during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which CSIS estimated reached 1.4 million personnel by July.
A decline in the rate of volunteer contract recruitment relative to battlefield losses may further influence Kremlin decision-making.
Relocats highlighted that primary motives for emigration include fears of a new draft alongside general fatigue as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year.
Citizens report seeking countries where they can stably reside, work, study, and plan for the future, with Serbia, Armenia, and Georgia remaining the top choice destinations.
A state-run poll conducted by VTsIOM in July 2026 revealed that 66% of Russian citizens believed "difficult times" lay ahead for the country, marking a 16 percentage point increase in public apprehension since the beginning of the year.
Driven by economic deterioration, long-range drone strikes on key infrastructure, and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, public anxiety reached levels not seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the hyperinflation crisis of 1992.
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