title: War and Migration: Quantifying the Russian exodus through Yandex search trends
abstract: Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Russian citizens have left Russia due to increasing repressions by the government, the fear of mobilization, or to escape the economic downturn. As of yet, reliable statistical data on those who left are not available. Hence, much remains unknown about the characteristics and scope of this population. However, migrants in the digital age prepare for their journeys by searching online, and these digital traces provide clues about their intentions an