Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, after about 100,000 people had massaged for weeks with their neighbor at the border. There is no hard data on the number of Russians who have left the country since the start of the war nearly five months ago, but the number has been reported to run into the hundreds of thousands. Since about mid-March, tens of thousands of people have Russia have quickly moved to nearby countries such as Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Israel and the Baltic States.
Jeanne Batalova, senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told CNBC, “If you look at the different destinations people have gone to, these numbers add up.”
Among this latest wave are those who took a little longer to leave Russia, including those with businesses or families waiting for their young children to finish the current school year.
But many others were not so fortunate as, in addition to the millions of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes, life for other Russians became a nightmare almost overnight once the war started.
A huge group, including some journalists lashing out at Putin’s brutal regime, felt they had no choice but to flee the country immediately or risk political prosecution for violating the Kremlin’s fierce opposition to public dissent.
Ms. Batalova said: “Many people got a message saying they were traitors.
She added: “The way migration works is that once the flow kicks in and people start discovering how to do things – get a flat, apply for asylum, find a job or start a business.
“That causes more people to leave. It becomes a self-fulfilling cycle.”
A man named Vladimir, whose identity has not been fully revealed, is part of what he considers to be Russia’s “second wave” of post-war migration.
READ MORE: Tempest team-up sees UK joining forces with Japan
The 37-year-old has prepared the necessary documents to allow him, his family and company to move to France after a lengthy visa application process.
He told CNBC via video call from his office in Moscow: “On the one hand, it’s comfortable to live in the country where you were born. But on the other hand, it’s about the safety of your family.”
Under Putin’s brutal tenure, Vladimir described what he described as the “erosion of politics and freedom” in Russia for several years, with the brutal invasion of Ukraine making him completely determined to move.
In the technology sector alone, up to 70,000 professionals have been able to leave Russia in the first month of the conflict, with as many as 100,000 to follow soon after, according to a Russian IT industry trade group.
NOT MISSING
Russian accuses Ukraine of bombing ‘peaceful cities’ with US weapons [LATEST]
Turkey announces breakthrough deal to restore Ukrainian grain exports [REPORT]
US suffers defense blunder as £27 million air force drone crashes and burns [PICTURES]
Startup business owners like Vladimir, who runs a restaurant software service, are relocating their businesses and staff abroad, opting for countries with secure access to capital, such as France, UK, Spain and Cyprus.
Several other, more mobile, self-employed workers in the sector are already flocking to low-visa countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey.
The “second wave” of people leaving Russia comes with reports that some of its previous movers have returned home due to personal and business ties, as well as issues surrounding travel restrictions and banking sanctions.
But Ms. Batalova said: “My guess is that the emigration from Russia will continue, and if people go back, it will be to sell possessions and houses and then leave again.”