Russians who left the country at the beginning of the war are returning to Russia and strengthening its military economy. This is stated in a Bloomberg article.

In the first year of the war, about a million people left Russia for other countries. Now thousands of these people are returning home. This is due to the fact that they have faced refusals to renew their residence permits, difficulties in transferring work and money abroad, and generally a less than friendly attitude toward Russians.

"No one is really waiting for us," they say.

Bloomberg confirms Russia's claim that half of those who left in 2022 have already returned.

The publication writes that the Kremlin actively uses the stories of their return as confirmation of "Russophobia" in the West.

In addition, the return of citizens who have left Russia will help it survive the sanctions. According to Bloomberg Economics, return migration gave Russia an economic growth of 0.7-1.2% in 2023.