Woman from Winnipeg living in Moscow speaks about life during wartime

A woman from Winnipeg who has lived in Russia for more than three years says she and her husband are looking to get out after the Russian government launched its invasion of Ukraine. 

CBC News has agreed not to name the 25-year-old living in Moscow, who asked not to be identified out of concern for her safety.

New laws suppressing criticism of the war and granting police greater powers to search and detain people has led to a growing number of people looking to leave Russia, the woman said.

"A lot of people have actually already flown from the country, or are still trying to flee just due to the insane increase in control, all the new restrictions," she said.

In addition to the increased limits on individual freedoms, sanctions by countries around the world, including Canada, have drastically increased prices for essential items.

"There has been crazy inflation since the economy has drastically dropped," she said. She estimated food and household items are about 20 per cent pricier, while some items have jumped 100 per cent or more.

The woman and her husband have been considering leaving for the last few weeks, and hope to leave as soon as her husband's visa is approved. They plan to go to Belgium, where his job is based.

Those sanctions have also made it more difficult for people living in Russia to find work, especially with companies based outside of the country.

"It's going to lead to a brain drain," said Kenneth Zaifman, an immigration lawyer based in Winnipeg.

"It's going to lead to a group of talented individuals who've got good skills, many of them working for multinational companies, in sectors … where they can work remotely. And I think you'll see a lot of those people leaving."

One client of Zaifman's arrived in Winnipeg just over a week ago. 

The man, who works as an IT professional, left Russia a few weeks before the invasion of Ukraine began. He intended to go back, but after the invasion he decided to come to Canada.

"He, I think, will have no difficulty finding employment. He's in an occupation and in the line of work that is in demand in Canada and various places. And so he's here now, continuing to work, and he's probably looking at some pathway to resettle."

Zaifman's client and the woman in Moscow are not alone in their desire to leave Russia. Thousands of people have reportedly already fled, but getting out of Russia is becoming more difficult.