Abkhazia, Armenia and Georgia are among the leaders in the number of visits by Russians

From January to September this year, Russians traveled abroad 21 million times. This is 20% more than last year (17.4 million). The most popular countries among Russian citizens this year were Abkhazia (legally independent, in fact controlled by Moscow), Turkey and Kazakhstan. This situation is reflected in the rating based on data from the Russian FSB and EMISS.

Armenia and Georgia took sixth and seventh places in terms of the number of visits by Russians. They left the Russian Federation 890 and 880 thousand times, respectively. Of the European countries, only Finland appears in the list of popular countries, occupying 10th place.

Последние новости
S7 Boeing flight from Novosibirsk to Makhachkala declares an emergency
News
S7 Boeing flight from Novosibirsk to Makhachkala declares an emergency
19 October 2026

An S7 Airlines Boeing 737-800, operating flight S7 7099 from Novosibirsk to Makhachkala, diverted and landed in Omsk due to a technical malfunction.
Another drone attack repelled in Rostov Oblast; region also used as launch point for strikes on Ukraine
Chronicle of Wars and Crimes
Another drone attack repelled in Rostov Oblast; region also used as launch point for strikes on Ukraine
19 October 2026

On the night of October 19, Rostov Oblast was once again among the Russian regions targeted by drones. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a total of 149 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory throughout the night.
MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
Society
MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
18 October 2026

Mixed martial arts fighter Ibragim Islamov, known by the nickname "Nikarkho," sustained a gunshot wound from a non-lethal (traumatic) pistol during an altercation in the center of Vladikavkaz. Two people were injured in the incident, both of whom were hospitalized. The North Ossetia branch of the Russian Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case, and one of the individuals involved has been detained.
Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
Society
Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
18 October 2026

On October 18, Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Restoration of Independence. It was on this date in 1991 that the republic’s Supreme Soviet adopted a Constitutional Act, formalizing the country’s departure from the Soviet system and the restoration of its state sovereignty.