Russians Flock to Georgia, Armenia, Serbia Amid Fears of New Mobilization
A record 1.13 million Russians traveled to the three countries as rumors of another mobilization drove searches for ways to leave Russia.
- Between July and September, 1.13 million Russians traveled to Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia, marking the highest quarterly total in 17 years, according to Russian Federal Security Service border data cited by Verstka.
- Mounting rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing a new mobilization wave drove the exodus, raising fears among military-age men about being sent to fight in Ukraine.
- Georgia saw the largest influx with 660,300 arrivals, while demand for long-term apartment rentals in Tbilisi and Yerevan increased 30% compared with the same period last year.
- The emigration wave coincides with Russia's struggle to meet its annual recruitment target of 409,000 contract soldiers, with the Foreign Intelligence Service estimating only about 195,000 recruits by mid-July.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in late July that Moscow could recruit up to 500,000 additional troops, citing documents confirming preparations for mobilizing more than 100,000 people following September's State Duma elections.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Russians flee country at fastest rate in 17 years amid fears of Putin’s mobilization decree
A record number of Russians left the country for Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia in the third quarter of 2026, as rumors of a new wave of mobilization sparked fears of a fresh conscription order from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Statistics from Russia’s Border Guard Service, highlighted by Verstka, show that over 1.1 million people traveled to these three countries between July and September—a surge surpassing even the exodus during the 2022 m…
In the third quarter of this year, amid rumors of a new wave of mobilization, Russians traveled en masse to Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia. In total, a record number of citizens left for the three popular "anti-war" emigration countries in 17 years. This is shown by statistics from the FSB border service, which was noted by the Viorstka portal.
New figures show a fierce increase in Russians leaving the country.
The number of Russians who left for Georgia in the third quarter reached 660.3 thousand
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