Russians googling how to flee country: Search volumes hit record highs
Photo: Russians in Moscow (Getty Images)
Russians have begun actively searching online for ways to travel abroad without visas and obtain international passports. The number of such searches has reached its highest level since the start of the war, according to the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit.
In June 2026, the query "how much does it cost to obtain an international passport" was entered into the Yandex search engine 26,339 times. This is the highest figure recorded during the entire period analyzed since 2024.
Compared with November 2024, when the query was searched 8,203 times, interest surged by 221%. The latest figure also exceeded the previous peak of 21,616 searches recorded in July 2025 by 22%.
Amid the surge in demand, Moscow residents began complaining in July that they were unable to obtain the document because no appointment slots were available.
Google Trends data shows a similar pattern. In May 2026, the query "how much does it cost to obtain an international passport" reached the maximum score of 100 for the first time in five years, compared with the previous peak of 96 recorded in January.
Visa-free escapes and exit permits
The query "leave without a visa" also hit a record high. In June, it was entered into Yandex 1,251 times, up 118% from the period of lowest interest in February 2025 and 12% higher than the previous peak recorded in March 2026.
Russians are also increasingly interested in border-crossing rules. The query "exit permit" was searched 20,629 times in June, just 10.5% below the all-time high recorded last summer.
Google Trends shows a similar pattern. In July 2026, the phrase "exit visa" reached a score of 100 — the highest level in five years. By comparison, the previous peak in March 2023 stood at just 49.
Not everyone can leave
Despite growing interest in leaving the country, millions of Russians are unable to do so because of official travel restrictions. The number of exit bans imposed on debtors increased by 41.5% over the past year.
As of January 1, 2026, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) Border Service database contained 8.9 million active travel restriction orders, up from 6.3 million a year earlier.
Such restrictions are commonly imposed over unpaid child support, outstanding loans, compensation claims, and unpaid fines.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia could launch a new wave of mobilization after the State Duma (parliament) elections, arguing that the Kremlin is seeking to avoid the high costs associated with contract soldiers.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has warned that Russia is quietly preparing for a broader mobilization effort to sustain the war, while avoiding public discussion of the issue due to concerns over domestic discontent.
