The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security informs how to deal with Ukrainians who were forcibly deported to Russia. According to the Center, there are already more than a million such citizens of Ukraine there. If you or your loved ones are affected by deportation, you need to leave the aggressor country as soon as possible. There are no legal grounds to restrict your departure from there, but in practice there may be difficulties. It is better to choose one of the nearest EU countries for departure.

In the territory of the European Union, any country provides shelter. There is an opportunity to apply for temporary protection, which gives the right to work, stay legally, receive financial assistance and more. 

You can leave Russia by land transport via Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and by plane - via Kaliningrad to Poland. To use the flight - you need an international passport. Overland, the chances of being allowed into Europe with any identity document are much higher. To cross this border you will need a biometric passport, or a domestic passport, or a birth certificate. You will also need a migration card, which you were issued when entering the Russian Federation.

If you arrived in Russia before February 24, 2022 and have only a domestic passport or birth certificate, it is likely that you will not be allowed into the EU. Then you can try to leave Russia via Belarus or Georgia (accepts ID-cards for entry).

The most convenient route is across the border with Estonia at the Ivangorod-Narva border crossing. By train you can get to St. Petersburg, then go to Ivangorod by lift-sharing or train. From Narva, Estonia, you can get to Tallinn, travel for Ukrainians will be free.

It may take several hours to leave the Russian Federation, activists say. As a reason for leaving, it is better to say that you are going to relatives. You also need to remove potentially provocative material on your mobile.

There is a free hotline in Estonia where you can call +3726001247 for help.

Another option for travel to the European Union is by bus. You can buy a ticket to Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania) through the carrier Ecolines, Baltic Shuttle, Lux Express. You can pay for the ticket with a Ukrainian bank card. You can also pay with it for a ticket Moscow - St. Petersburg of Ecolines carrier.

You can try to pay for an electronic ticket for a Russian railway train with a Ukrainian bank card or ask relatives or friends from Europe to do so.

Recently, information has begun to appear about the construction of filtration camps for Ukrainians on the border between Russia and Estonia. Therefore, currently no one can guarantee the safety of Ukrainian citizens at the border. It is better to choose ways to escape through Georgia or Belarus.

Also, if you find yourself in a situation of forced deportation to Russia, be sure to inform the Embassy of Ukraine in the country closest to your location, or in the country where you plan to leave to. We wrote about the contacts of the embassies of Ukraine in the article.