In the hours after President Vladimir Putin announced an escalation of the War in Ukraine via military mobilization, one-way flights out of Russia quickly sold out over the next several days.
After Putin Speech, Flights Out Of Russia Sell Out
In a television address earlier today, Putin called up 300,000 reservists and insisted that the “special military operation” in Ukraine would press on. Putin further warned that “all options are on the table” as Russia seeks to “protect” its “territorial integrity.” Ukraine has recently made territorial advances, catching Russia by surprise and prompting separatist areas to rush sham referendums on whether to be annexed by Russia. In threatening the use of nuclear weapons and the deployment of hundreds of thousands of reservists, Putin makes clear that he is willing to destroy Eastern Ukraine in order to “liberate” it.
With fears that men of fighting age will not be allowed to leave Russia (this is already true in Ukraine), one-way ticket searches and bookings surged in the hours after Putin’s television address. Per Reuters, Google Trends immediately saw a spike in searches for one-way flights out of Russia on Viasales, which is the most popular online travel booking platform in Russia.
Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Turkey and Yerevan, Armenia quickly sold out for the rest of the week and into next week. Available flights next week are running at 3x normal cost (now pricing at 70,000 roubles one-way, approximately $1,150). Both nations allow visa-free access for citizens of Russia. Even connecting itineraries via Tbilisi, Georgia or Belgrade, Serbia are now sold out. One-way tickets to Dubai have skyrocketed to 300,000 roubles (approximately $5,000), which is about five times the average monthly wage in Russia.
While the Kremlin has not clarified if borders would be closed to those of conscript age, it did stress that today’s order will be limited to professional soldiers and that students would be exempted. But the order itself makes no such carve-out.
CONCLUSION
Declaring an unjust war, losing ground, then escalating it in desperation has sent Russians scrambling to leave the country. Flights to visa-free zones are now sold out for the rest of the week and even connecting itineraries are filling up quickly and rising in price even more quickly.
If there was any hope that the recent advances by Ukraine might lead to a brokered peace deal, we now have the answer: Putin is digging in…but Russians are flying out.
image: Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport
Like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
Here come the trolls…
Tyrants have a way of messing up with unbelievable effectiveness, when they finally mess up.
I’m old enough to remember defectors from the US to Canada during Vietnam. There was talk among the seniors in high school about bailing out or making sure they got into college for a deferment. They ceased the draft by the time I graduated.
I have no truck with Putin, but his first name is spelled “Vladimir”.
Thanks! Fixed.
Status update: My father-in-law from Odessa arrived from Poland Lufthansa (KRK-MUC-IAD) with no problems. In regard to the theme of this blog, the food was “meh” (he griped no meat) and crowded. I saved $150 by having him bring a carry-on bag and they checked it for free due to lack of overhead storage space. I hope the same happens on the way back because he has a 4 hour layover.
When war first broke out many Russians left out of protest and wound up returning because living abroad for them was expensive on low Russian savings. This is different in that there is a mobilization going on and while this only currently affects those listed as reservists, a more general conscription could come just around the corner and they might not get out. Russia apparently has already ordered airlines to stop issuing tickets to draft age men.
This latest development is significant because it finally hits many Moscovite men and families personally unlike the sanctions which many got through perhaps paying more for butter and having to get another job. The popularity of Putin is based upon a sophisticated formula of propaganda that makes people feel comfortable, but also non-confrontational. “Just go along and don’t get into trouble”. Sort of like intellectual weed. A great youtube video on the subject by a Russian is “The Postmodern Hell Of Russian Propaganda.” So where I’m going with this is that this is a wakeup call to them. I’m sure it stank during the Vietnam era wondering if your number would get called and certainly that makes living in Russia no picnic for those affected even if their chances of being called up are statistically low.
Another interesting angle, my theory, is that having the Ukrainian offensive now rather than spring put strong pressure on Moscow which perhaps hoped to let Europe and the USA literally freeze during the winter with high gas prices while the Russians could dig in. I carefully read the text of yesterday’s speech (it’s available in English at the Kremlin) and it’s interesting that there’s an attempt to rattle the Nuclear saber but read carefully, it’s nonsense. Taken out of context I was wondering if nukes were being threatened but it was a careful attempt to portray the USA as a nuclear aggressor and they’re retaliating against nuclear aggression. Yes, read it. This may be trying to rally the local men to not gripe about the mobilization and perhaps scare the west a bit, but I think this will backfire.
For us personally, the Kherson offensive matters because in the next 4 weeks before my father-in-law goes back, getting that liberated largely eliminates any conceivable threat for Russia to try to take Odessa. Yes, it could happen now (highly unlikely) but with Dnieper in the way, that should make Odessa reasonably safe. Currently the beaches are still mined and he’s enjoying the freedom to go to Annapolis beaches and Myrtle later. Senior citizens in Ukraine REALLY love the beach.
I hope Russia wins.
Why?
Trolls gotta troll, I guess…
Because Koggerj is a russian/maga troll…
You should volunteer for Russia. They need your help, they’ll probably take whoever they can, including neckbeards.
And now, the Putin regime is prohibiting airlines from selling tickets to any male aged 18-65 looking to leave the country…guess that reserve mobilization is going really well.
Once again we see women lagging behind. Feminists are not rioting asking more women be sent to their deaths fighting for their country. Actually those feminists were absent while more men were getting killed in America’s ar on terror. Where were they protesting the lop sided deaths of men? Once again we feminists don’t want true equality. Once the time comes they are happy to get back in the role baby making ovens and not rock the boat too much.
I’m launching my own blog (don’t want to pitch it here) that addresses this point that while we hear that ‘the future is female”, that the defenders of society on the fields of battle, and the primary breadwinners of stable families, are still largely men and this conflict illustrates that.
The being said, Ukrainian women are fierce nationalists and many have volunteered to go to the front and humbly serve alongside the men grateful to do their part. It’s awe inspiring. They don’t want equality with men, they just want to do as much as they can. My wife would be there loading ammunition if we didn’t have a 6 year old daughter.
What a pointless, asinine post.
Yep, because Russian asshole trolls gonna troll.