The Russian airline first emphasized that it does not restrict ticket sales.
(Photo: IMAGO/Marc Schüler)
Berlin The order for partial mobilization by President Vladimir Putin has triggered a run on flights abroad in Russia. Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul in Turkey and Yerevan in Armenia were sold out on Wednesday, according to data from Russia’s most popular flight booking site Aviasales. Both countries allow Russians visa-free entry.
Flights from Moscow to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines were either fully booked or unavailable by Sunday afternoon. Some connections with stopovers, including those from Moscow to the Georgian capital Tbilisi, were no longer available. Experts interpret this as a sign that many Russians want to avoid a possible call-up to the war against Ukraine.
The strong demand for the plane tickets drove the prices up. The cheapest flights to Dubai cost more than 300,000 rubles (about 5000 euros). This corresponds to about five times the average monthly salary. Flights to Turkey rose to almost 70,000 rubles – just for the one-way flight. A week ago, they asked for just over 22,000 rubles, data from Google Flights shows.
So far, the Russian government has not commented specifically on whether the borders will be closed to those affected by the draft. The population was asked to be patient until this issue was resolved. The Russian tourism authority said that no restrictions on travel abroad have been imposed so far. The Russian airline Aeroflot stressed that it does not restrict ticket sales.
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According to the rating agency Scope, the partial mobilization threatens to further paralyze the Russian economy. It is likely to result in the “continued brain drain from Russia because of the war,” Scope analyst Levon Kameryan told Reuters.
“This emigration has already exacerbated the country’s demographic decline, which will limit long-term growth in Russia’s economic output and productivity.” It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled their homes since the war began in February.
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