The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Friday that Russia's elite may be concerned about the economic costs of sanctions.
Some 15,000 Russians are planning to leave the country because of the economic costs.
According to the intelligence update, some 15,000 Russian millionaires have applied for migration and may be leaving the country.
The ministry notes that people may flee because of their opposition to the invasion or fear of the economic impact of western sanctions.
It was noted that the exit of a large number of wealthy Russians from the country may only make the economy worse.
Several Russians have joined the so-called "Freedom for Russia Legion" which is now fighting alongside Ukrainian forces despite the Kremlin's attempts to crack down on all opposition to the war.
Moscow has passed laws to silence any opposition to the war in Russia, including a 15-year jail sentence for sharing false information about the military. Most of Russia's elite have supported the war. According to reports, those who have spoken out against the invasion have faced backlash. Tinkov said last month that he was forced to sell his stake in the bank. Tinkov, who is now living in Italy, has been vocal in his opposition to the war. Several members of Russia's business and government elite agreed with him, but were too scared to speak out.
Since the start of Russia's invasion, multiple Russian oligarchs and their foreign owned assets have been hit by Western sanctions. This has led to the seizure of multimillion-dollar yachts and villas owned by people with close ties to the Russian president. The superyacht was seized by the U.S. earlier this month. European authorities have seized boats owned by other Russian billionaires. Italian authorities seized a super yacht believed to be owned by Putin.
The Russian billionaire is the proxy owner of the $500 million yacht.
Forbes has a guide to Russian oligarchs.
There is a guide to the private jets and helicopter.
Evading sanctions is a guide for Russian billionaires.
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