After the start of the war on Ukrainein 2022, many Russians fled their country with only a state-issued identification card. Around 110,000 Russians have found refuge in Armenia alone, according to estimates by the Russian news portal The Bell.

That's where exiles Daniil Chebykin and Richard King, co-founders of the Omsk Civic Association, were among the first Russians to report that their ID cards had been revoked. Classified as "extremist" by Russian authorities, their organization addresses problems in their southwest Siberian city, protests the war in Ukraine, and fights corruption.

After both activists left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, they eventually lost access to their Russian banking apps and SIM cards. They later found out, via the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry website, that their ID cards had also been declared invalid. Their experience is not an isolated........

© Deutsche Welle