RBC hasn't been independent since 2016 (remember Panama Papers?). On the other hand, EU is expected to lift sanctions against its owner, Grigory Berezkin, this week. Of course, Putin's oligarch deserves more rights than ordinary Russians, totally understandable.
I get that. I just really don't think that it'll have enough of an impact to matter in that case. All of the high level people have their own methods for getting things in and out of the country, so you're probably going to affect some "middle class" smugglers, but the I'm worried that people trying to flee are going to be affected more.
If you're just now deciding you want to flee, you've already chosen your battles.
This war has been going on for 1,5 years, but now that the drones are circling Moscow you're suddenly making an issue, whilst being quiet while Ukrainians were killed by kamikaze drones? Quite hypocritical.
Average citizens aren't going to leave their family homes because their government is waging war on innocent people. I, personally, did not leave the US while we bombed the shit out of several undeserving countries. If those countries had managed to start bombing California with any efficacy, I would probably try to leave.
I think that's a very flawed way to look at this. Just because it's been 1.5 years doesn't mean that every person living inside a series of imaginary lines on a map is responsible for the minority that is in charge of that shaded map regeon. By that logic, you're at fault for whatever your government has done since you've become a legal adult. If you are one.
Putin took power when most of the people fighting in this war were small children. There's not been a real election since.
So, let's punish refugees trying to leave the nation.
Look, I get it. This sanction is meant to make it even harder for Russia to move money in and out. But realistically, this is going to disproportionately affect the people trying to run away from the draft, or other political dissidents.