Flight prices to foreign destinations have soared today ahead of a major speech by Vladimir Putin on the military conflict with Ukraine.
Russians are fearing an expansion of mobilisation and even a full declaration of war and some were said to be fleeing the country.
The warmongers' address was kept under wraps amid an unexplained night-time dash to the Kremlin by his motorcade.
Hardliners such as TV propagandist Margarita Simonyan, head of RT state broadcaster, spoke ominously of “anticipating jubilation” ahead of his speech to the Federal Assembly.
Yet fearful men were exiting the country in a last-minute dash - one meme showed a man at the border with Kazakhstan with the border guard asking the purpose of his visit.
The Russian refusenik answers: “To listen to President Putin's address to the Federal Assembly [in safety].”
There was an earlier exodus last autumn when Putin announced a “partial mobilisation”.
While it was unclear what if anything Putin was announcing today, the fear of new draconian moves was real and opposition blogger Maxim Katz, 38, said: “The cheapest direct flight from Moscow to Yerevan is $650 [£540] - five times the regular price.
“Every pre-planned speech by Putin over the past year has been akin to a professional holiday for hoteliers, real estate agents, cab drivers, and airlines in the post-Soviet Republics of the Caucasus and Central Asia.
“We don’t know how many people took a one-way journey.
“Estimates range from half a million to two million.”
The Glasgow-educated political activist, now exiled, with 1.68 million YouTube subscribers, said: “We can say for certain that a million people nationwide are ready to go at a minute’s notice.”
Katz said that across Russia “people live with one foot out of the door. With each announcement of the presidential address triggering an urgent exodus.”
In a post on her Telegram channel, an opposition politician and TV journalist Ksenia Sobchak said: “So what awaits us [with Putin’s speech]?
“1) Transformation of the Special Military Operation [in Ukraine] into war.
“2) New mobilisation.
“3) Everything will be fine, let’s not wet our pants.
“4) It’s time to wet our pants.”
Most votes opted for option four, with 39 per cent.
There was high security in Moscow for his address at Gostiny Dvor hall, close to Red Square.
There was no explanation for an apparent late-night dash to the Kremlin by Putin ahead of the speech, with traffic stopped in central Moscow.
Putin had postponed what is supposed to be an annual address to politicians and other prominent figures in Russia in the Federal Assembly.
It was due last year but he retimed it to come three days ahead of the anniversary of the start of his disastrous invasion of Ukraine.
