MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. More than 700 Russians who had been living in unfriendly Western countries relocated back to Russia in the first nine months of 2023 via a special repatriation program, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"We are currently registering notable interest in the topic of repatriation to our country not only from the 'near abroad' countries [of the former Soviet Union], but also from a number of unfriendly countries in the West. [I’ll cite] just some simple data points to confirm these words: for the nine months of this year, more than 700 people relocated back to Russia from [such Western countries]," she noted.

According to the spokeswoman, Moscow continues to carry out work for facilitating the repatriation of compatriots to Russia, despite the enormous pressure and obstacles being applied by Western countries. "The policy of these countries affects the situation of the Russian diaspora, Russian-speaking residents, and they take advantage of this opportunity. Meanwhile, their [repatriates’] relocation is complicated by transportation and logistical problems that have arisen since the EU instituted an entire range of anti-Russian sanctions and restrictions on money transfers; but this has not stopped people [from coming back]," the diplomat added.