Secret service report sees “brain drain”: the clever Russians are fleeing – apparently they are also rich
Created: 09/29/2022, 19:50
Russians stand in line after crossing the border into Kazakhstan.
© Denis Spiridonov/AP/dpa
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization, tens of thousands of Russians have fled the country.
Among them probably mainly rich and educated men.
London - According to British assessments, the flight of tens of thousands of Russian men because of the partial mobilization has led to an enormous intellectual bloodletting for Russia.
"The better-off and well-educated are over-represented among those trying to leave Russia," the Ministry of Defense said in London, citing intelligence findings.
If you also take into account the conveners, the domestic economic impact should be enormous, it said.
The authority referred to the lower availability of workers and a rapid "brain drain", i.e. a loss of skilled workers in the technical sectors, for example.
"In the seven days since President (Vladimir) Putin announced the 'partial mobilization', a significant exodus of Russians seeking to avoid conscription has begun," it said.
Exact numbers are unclear.
But the number of those who left the country probably exceeds the strength of the invading army with which Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.
According to estimates, Moscow had deployed around 150,000 soldiers on the border with the neighboring country before the deployment.
British secret service sees "brain drain": rich and educated flee Russia
According to a report in the British newspaper
The Guardian
, the demand for seats in private jets has increased massively.
For a seat in such a private jet, rich Russians pay up to 25,000 pounds, the equivalent of around 28,300 euros.
The price for hiring an eight-seater jet is currently up to £140,000, or around €158,000, which is several times more expensive than the normal fare.
The Guardian
quoted the head of Your Charter company as saying: "The situation is absolutely insane at the moment.
We used to get 50 requests a day, now it's around 5,000."
The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information.
In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line.
Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.
(dpa/fmü)
