Russians are reportedly rushing to secure long-term rentals in Georgia and Armenia amid growing fears of a new mobilization wave as Moscow struggles to replenish heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine.
Independent Russian news website Important Stories reported this week that demand for apartment rentals in Tbilisi and Yerevan was up to 30% higher in mid-August compared to the same period last year, according to realtors, who say the increase is partly also due to seasonal factors.
One Tbilisi-based realtor, cited by the outlet, said: “I advise anyone planning to move to rent now. Apartments are selling out in a day or two, and everyone is looking for long-term options. We haven’t seen this much excitement since 2022.”
Russia saw a mass exodus of around 700,000 people in the months following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, driven in large part due to a mobilization drive by the armed forces in September that year.
Another realtor in Tbilisi told Important Stories that demand for apartments in the Georgian capital began climbing in late July, saying: “You can compare the situation to the first months of the war… [Finding an apartment] is more difficult now because many expats are already living here.
“The market can’t meet the demand, even with the active construction,” he added.
‘Influx of Russians’
The situation is similar in Armenia, according to the report, which said that the jump in demand for rentals in Yerevan is an “immediate response to the influx of Russians into the country.”
According to several organizations assisting potential emigrants, interest among Russians looking to leave their country has nearly doubled in recent months amid growing fears of a new military mobilization drive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month warned that the Kremlin could seek to mobilize several hundred thousand of its citizens by the end of the year, citing “internal Russian documents” seen by Ukraine’s intelligence services.
Analysts say that Moscow may wait until after Russian parliamentary elections in September before announcing a mobilization drive in order to avoid an unpopular and politically risky move.