23 July 2026
In June 2026, Russians set a record for the number of search queries related to leaving the country. Queries for “where to go without a visa,” “how long does it take to get a passport,” and “exit permit” reached their highest levels since the beginning of the war, according to an analysis of Yandex and Google Trends data conducted by ” Mozhem Explain .” The surge in interest coincided with the fuel crisis, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities, and rumors of a new mobilization.
Thus, the query “how long does it take to get a passport” was searched 26,339 times on Yandex in June—the highest number for the entire observation period and 221% more than in November 2024. In Google Trends, this query reached the maximum score of 100 in May for the first time in five years. The number of queries for “travel without a visa” increased to 1,251 in June—a 118% increase compared to February 2025.
The rise in interest in emigration coincided with new difficulties for those wishing to leave the country, MO notes. In July, Moscow residents began complaining en masse about being unable to register for a foreign passport due to a lack of available slots at Ministry of Internal Affairs offices. Furthermore, as of January 1, 2026, the FSB Border Service database contained 8.9 million active travel bans for debtors—a 41.5% increase from the previous year.
The increase in emigration requests coincided with the authorities’ intensified preparations for possible mobilization. According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin is creating a legal framework for this: the State Duma has expanded the circle of individuals with criminal records permitted to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense, and the Russian National Guard has updated its civil defense regulations to take into account the period of mobilization and martial law.
Reuters sources close to the Kremlin also report that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a further escalation of the war. Western intelligence estimates that by mid-2026, Russian army casualties have reached 1.4 million killed and wounded, and the rate of contract recruitment has ceased to compensate for the decline. Z-channels are citing a possible date for a new mobilization as October, estimating its scale at 1.2 million troops.
The smartest ones left the shithole when this war was started. The next smartest ones left the shithole when the first mobilization was started. The least smart ones will leave NOW. The dumbest of the dumb will soon be drafted and be sent to the war. They will not live long anymore.
“unable to register for a foreign passport due to a lack of available slots at Ministry of Internal Affairs office” – lol, theyll just set all the appointment slots to not available… for months ahead.
That’s right. They’ll have to be a little more creative to leave the crapper than going through any of their ministries.
Wonder if these MOFOs can apply for asylum anywhere? That would be a tragedy if any country does