A growing number of Russians are leaving for countries including Armenia amid fears that Moscow could announce another military mobilization after this weekend’s State Duma election. Searches for “how to leave” and “mobilization” have reached their highest level since early 2023, while the anti-war group Kovcheg says inquiries about emigration have surged. Russia’s three-day parliamentary vote ends Sunday in a tightly controlled political environment in which most anti-war candidates have been excluded. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed suggestions of a post-election mobilization as “nonsense.” Ukrainian officials and Kremlin critics, however, have warned that another call-up remains possible. Armenia, which Russians can enter without a visa, was a major destination after Russia’s 2022 partial mobilization. More than 100,000 Russians relocated there that year, helping fuel rapid economic growth. The latest arrivals are again boosting housing demand in Yerevan, where rents have risen sharply in some districts over the summer months.
