Serbia has become a country to which thousands of Russians have moved since the Ukraine Russia war. The Serbian government has refused to impose sanctions on the Kremlin, and many Serbs support Russia’s policies. More than 1,000 companies whose owners have Russian passports are registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia
Serbia became a country where thousands of Russians arrived, after the government refused to impose sanctions on the Kremlin, and many Serbs support Russia’s policies.
The Serbian government has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it does not support sanctions against the Kremlin. Many Serbs feel a connection with Russia because of the Slavic and Russian language that binds them, the common Orthodox religion, and Putin’s war in Ukraine has supporters even in the political mainstream in Serbia.
An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Russians have moved to Serbia since late February, some with a one-way ticket. There are no official figures, but since the start of the war against Ukraine, tens of thousands of Russians have opened accounts in Serbian banks, and more than 1,000 companies whose owners have Russian passports have registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.
“I chose Serbia because it is one of the few countries where Russian passport holders are still allowed to enter without a visa,” Katya Hazina, 34, from Moscow, told the German broadcaster DW. “Besides, of course, it’s quite schizophrenic that as an opponent of Putin, I arrived in a country where there are many people who support the regime in Russia,” Khazina said. “But I put up with it because I know it’s nothing compared to the difficulties people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine have to face.”