Russians are leaving again, amid repression, economic strain, Ukrainian drone attacks, and rumors of another wave of mobilization. This time, earlier émigrés have left them a roadmap.

A wave of Russians is leaving the country again, driven by new repressive laws, economic strain, Ukrainian drone strikes reaching Russian cities, and rumors of another mobilization round, according to interviews gathered by the journalist cooperative Bereg and published by Meduza. One emigrant described internet shutdowns and encroaching censorship as the moment that made staying feel untenable, compounded by fear her boyfriend would be drafted.

The subject relocated to Armenia, a comparatively easier move than earlier waves of emigrants faced, thanks to family ties and a now well-developed online network of relocation guides built by people who left in 2022. She describes an emotionally rough adjustment, crying over apartment paperwork and missing Moscow's skyline, before gradually settling into life in Yerevan.

She currently lives on rental income from her Moscow apartment and her boyfriend's remote work for a Russian tech firm, calling Russia's economy a ticking time bomb and expressing uncertainty about whether accounts could be frozen or the country could default.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.