The number of Russian citizens departing for Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia—”popular destinations for anti-war emigration”—reached an all-time high in the third quarter of 2026 across the entire 17-year observation period. This was reported by the publication Verstka, citing statistics from the Border Service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
According to border service data, the number of individuals departing for Georgia in the third quarter reached 660,300, which is 43,300 more than in the third quarter of 2025 (when the previous record was set). Moreover, according to the figures, 43% more people left for Georgia in the third quarter of 2026 than during the mobilization period in the third quarter of 2022 (461,200). At the same time, traveling to Georgia by car was far more common in 2022—460,600 compared to 418,400 in 2026.
During the same period in 2026, 402,300 Russians traveled to Armenia. By comparison, in the third quarter of 2025, when the previous record was registered, 344,700 Russian citizens left for the country—roughly 57,000 fewer. As with Georgia, in no prior quarter since 2010 had the number of Russian departures for Armenia been as high as in 2026.
Between July and September, 64,800 Russians departed for Serbia. This is approximately 14,000 more than in the same period the previous year. The previous record was logged in the third quarter of 2024, when 53,200 people traveled to the country.
Verstka notes that the Border Service’s statistics encompass all Russian citizens traveling to these countries, regardless of their reason for travel. The data does not allow for determining precisely how many individuals left the Russian Federation permanently or long-term due to the war or the political situation.
Verstka had previously reported that, amid shortfalls in contract military recruitment, Russian authorities were weighing radical measures—such as rotating reservists or calling a new wave of mobilization. The human rights initiative Kovcheg (The Ark) stated that, amid rumors of renewed mobilization, Russians have shown a sharply increased interest in emigration, particularly toward popular destinations such as Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia.