Russia faces brain drain as thousands flee abroad

[Guno צְבִי]

Outside Georgia's parliament, Yevgeny Lyamin heaves boxes of clothes and food parcels onto a waiting truck bound for Ukraine.

He is one of more than 25,000 Russians to have arrived in Georgia since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russians have been struggling to find affordable accommodation in all the major cities. Many can be seen wandering around the capital, Tbilisi, with their suitcases and often even their pets.

A blue-and-yellow ribbon is attached to the lapel of Yevgeny's trench-coat - the colours of the Ukrainian flag. It was these ribbons that got him arrested at an anti-war protest in Russia, a day after it launched its war on Ukraine.

"I understood the best way to act against Putin's regime would be my emigration from Russia," says the 23-year old politics graduate. "It's my responsibility to do anything I can to help the Ukrainians."

The exodus does not stop at Georgia. The EU, US, UK and Canada have closed their airspace to Russian flights, so they are heading for countries where flights are still permitted and where visas are not required, such as Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Many have fled to Armenia.

According to one estimate by a Russian economist, as many as 200,000 Russians have left their country since the start of the war.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-faces-brain-drain-as-thousands-flee-abroad/ar-AAUZCTN

 

[Guno צְבִי]

A one-way flight to Istanbul cost me and my husband more than our combined monthly income," said Anya, who did not want to give her surname.

For her the moment of decision came with a new "state betrayal" law that has come into force in Russia. Anyone expressing support for Ukraine could face jail sentences of up to 20 years and Anya believed she could be a target.

"Fear of closed borders, political repression and forced military service is in our DNA. I remember my grandmother telling me stories about the state of fear they lived in during Stalin's time, and now we are experiencing it," she said.

Many of the new emigres are tech industry professionals who can work remotely. A video games developer I met at a cafe in Tbilisi told me that he and most people he knew disagreed with Russian policy and they knew now that any protest would be violently suppressed.

 

[Nordberg]

There are man-in-the-street interviews with Russians online. You can see the people want to say what they think about Putin's war but are afraid.
Others say that Putin has to stop the nazis who were threatening mother Russia. They watch the Russian equivalent of Fox. They too believe what they are told.
But the fear of so many who make it clear they are afraid to say what they really want to. It is sad. Many have been vacationing in Ukraine and have relatives there.

 

[Walt]

This is a huge deal. Russia is hemorrhage educated people.

 

[Althea]

A one-way flight to Istanbul cost me and my husband more than our combined monthly income," said Anya, who did not want to give her surname.

For her the moment of decision came with a new "state betrayal" law that has come into force in Russia. Anyone expressing support for Ukraine could face jail sentences of up to 20 years and Anya believed she could be a target.

"Fear of closed borders, political repression and forced military service is in our DNA. I remember my grandmother telling me stories about the state of fear they lived in during Stalin's time, and now we are experiencing it," she said.

Many of the new emigres are tech industry professionals who can work remotely. A video games developer I met at a cafe in Tbilisi told me that he and most people he knew disagreed with Russian policy and they knew now that any protest would be violently suppressed.

If they read history, they know that now is the time to evacuate before Putin goes full Hitler on dissidents.

 

[Nordberg]

The young people have been raised on internet and phone communications. They are not behind Putin's war of choice. They have been watching real news for years. Young are fleeing before Putin throws them on the front lines. As you can see. Putin's army is not enthusiastic.

 

[Yakuda]

Outside Georgia's parliament, Yevgeny Lyamin heaves boxes of clothes and food parcels onto a waiting truck bound for Ukraine.

He is one of more than 25,000 Russians to have arrived in Georgia since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russians have been struggling to find affordable accommodation in all the major cities. Many can be seen wandering around the capital, Tbilisi, with their suitcases and often even their pets.

A blue-and-yellow ribbon is attached to the lapel of Yevgeny's trench-coat - the colours of the Ukrainian flag. It was these ribbons that got him arrested at an anti-war protest in Russia, a day after it launched its war on Ukraine.

"I understood the best way to act against Putin's regime would be my emigration from Russia," says the 23-year old politics graduate. "It's my responsibility to do anything I can to help the Ukrainians."

The exodus does not stop at Georgia. The EU, US, UK and Canada have closed their airspace to Russian flights, so they are heading for countries where flights are still permitted and where visas are not required, such as Turkey, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Many have fled to Armenia.

According to one estimate by a Russian economist, as many as 200,000 Russians have left their country since the start of the war.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-faces-brain-drain-as-thousands-flee-abroad/ar-AAUZCTN

The same thing is happening here with leftist controlled education.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michae...ld-be-costing-the-economy-22-trillion-a-year/