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According to an analyst from a real estate platform, people are actively looking for a “backup airfield”.
Life inside Russia is growing increasingly tense as rumors of a massive new military draft spread across the country. This anxiety is driving a sharp surge in the number of citizens looking for a way out.
According to the Russian media outlet Kommersant, property searches abroad jumped by 20 percent in the first half of 2026 – by 25 percent, if people using secure internet networks (VPNs) are included in the data.
Many buyers are looking for safety rather than profit. The real estate platform Prian.ru told Kommersant that people want an escape route if conditions worsen.
Prian.ru lead analyst Filipp Berezin explained the shift clearly: “The tense geopolitical situation is forcing some buyers to more actively look for a backup airfield.”
Looking for safety
Several factors are fueling this anxiety. Drone strikes, internet restrictions, and fading hopes for a quick peace deal have left residents deeply shaken.
The biggest fear centers on rumors that the Kremlin wants to call up 1.2 million more people. Pro-war Telegram channels claim that this draft could begin after the parliamentary elections in October.
This fear is changing how Russians spend their money. Real estate firm NF Group reported that people are buying homes to live in rather than simply as investments.
Popular escape routes
Property sales have surged in several countries. NF Group noted that Russian purchases doubled in Georgia, while sales increased by 46 percent in Greece and 63 percent in Cyprus.
Turkey, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates remain the top destinations for buyers. Even with rising tensions in the Middle East, relatively low prices continue to make Dubai an attractive market.
Meanwhile, the official rhetoric in Moscow is shifting. Kremlin officials now openly use the word “war” instead of “special military operation” to describe the conflict, which Ukrainian officials say is intended to prepare the public for a large-scale mobilization.
Possible mobilization in two months
In an interview with The Telegraph, Czech President Petr Pavel warned that Ukraine has only two months to jump-start peace negotiations before Moscow raises the stakes.
The retired general explained that Russian President Vladimir Putin is waiting for domestic political milestones to pass before taking drastic steps.
Pavel told the newspaper: “Russia will have parliamentary elections in September. President Putin will hardly declare mobilisation before then, but once the elections are over, the window will shrink.”
