A growing number of Russians have decided to leave their country following Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, fearing the economic and political consequences the move will have.
“I hope to return to the country I love, but it is completely unclear what will happen next. My future is taken away from me, the country won’t be the same,” Trubetskoy said.
Russia has already seen a major crackdown on those opposing the invasion.
More than 7,500 people have so far been detained at anti-war protests across the country, according to the independent monitoring site OVD-Info. A number of the country’s independent news outlets have also been forced to shut down.
But those who leave are also fearful of the economic uncertainties that the country now faces: the Russian rouble and financial markets crashed this week after the West implemented crippling sanctions, and Moscow has also seen a mass exodus of western companies, including Ikea, Apple and Nike.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/people-leaving-russia-ukraine-war
