Record: over a million Russians traveled to Georgia and Armenia

In the third quarter of 2026, the number of trips by Russians to Georgia, Armenia and Serbia exceeded one million, the highest level since comparable statistics began in 2010. This follows from data from Russia's FSB border service.

These countries are popular with Russians who travel not only for vacations: some also have a serious reason to leave their homeland, such as a wish to avoid mobilization.

How many and where

The most Russians went to Georgia – about 660,300. That is 43% more than in the summer of 2022, when Moscow announced a partial mobilization because of the war against Ukraine. Armenia received nearly 58,000 more Russians over the same period, or more than 402,000. A record was also set in Serbia: about 64,800 Russian citizens arrived there in the third quarter, compared with the previous record of 53,200 in 2024.

An important caveat: the FSB data count all departures, including tourist and business trips and other forms of temporary stay. The figures do not show how many Russians left for good and how many left to avoid military service.

Against the backdrop of possible mobilization

Even so, the record figures come at a time when Moscow is reportedly considering new measures: it is failing to recruit enough soldiers for the war in Ukraine through professional contracts. During the September State Duma elections, a news agency, citing Kremlin sources, reported that a covert mobilization of up to 300,000 troops could follow.

Armenia, Georgia and Serbia have long been struggling with housing shortages that have pushed rents up by tens of percent. Tourists on vacation and businesspeople on trips, it is noted, have almost no effect on this.

Around Prague guide on the topic: Prague apartment rental prices in 2026 by neighborhood and district: 1+kk, 2+kk and 3+kk

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz