Hundreds of thousands of Russians have left the country since the start of the Ukraine invasion, according to The Washington Post, which notes that this is comparable to the exodus that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Post reports that at least 500,000 Russians, possibly close to 1 million, have emigrated since last year, when Russia invaded Ukraine. And the newspaper adds that the ongoing war, Russia's recent conscription efforts, and the country's hindered economy may lead even more to flee.

Many Russians have gone to bordering countries such as Kazakhstan and Armenia, while others have traveled to Finland, or overseas to the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Argentina, among others.

"This exodus is a terrible blow for Russia," historian Tamara Eidelman, who herself left Russia for Portugal after the invasion of Ukraine, told the Post. "The layer that could have changed something in the country has now been washed away."

She added, "Every extra month leads people to get used to a different country. They get a job there, their children go to school, they begin to speak a different language. The longer the war lasts, the longer the dictatorship in the country continues, the fewer people will return."

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