Another Russian exodus: Many who fled to Turkey move on again

FILE PHOTO: People hold anti-war placards before a rap concert for Ukraine by Russian rapper Oxxxymiron, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Istanbul, Turkey March 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Russians who fled to Turkey after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have moved on to other countries in the last year, squeezed by residency issues and soaring costs, according to data and interviews, including with nine Russian citizens.

When the war began in February 2022, Turkey, Russia's Black Sea neighbour and a NATO member, emerged as a magnet for Russians, especially its largest city Istanbul and the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.