Short answers, pulled from the story.
Most recent immigrants to Russia come from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, all former Soviet republics. By 2018, Ukrainians were the largest immigrant group outside Central Asia, numbering more than 2 million.
Under standard immigration rules, a person can apply for Russian citizenship after five years of residence and after passing an exam in Russian language, civics and history. Native Russian speakers, spouses of Russian citizens, highly qualified specialists, investors and refugees can apply after just one to three years.
As of May 2022, 5.99 million foreigners were living in Russia, up from 5.66 million in 2021 but down from 10.13 million in 2019. Between 2000 and 2015, legal immigrants in Russia fluctuated between 11 and 12 million, about 8% of the population.
The Program for the return of compatriots to Russia is a policy the Russian government adopted in 2006 and made permanent law in 2012, aimed at bringing back the direct descendants of people who once lived on Russian territory. In February 2024, the requirement to show conversational ability in Russian was waived to simplify the process.
Immigration to Russia was heavy during the Russian Empire, starting under Peter I from 1682 to 1725 and expanding after Catherine II took the throne in 1762, until the October Revolution in 1917. It then dropped sharply during the Soviet period from 1922 to 1991 and stayed low through 1992 to 2005.
Russia hosted 8.5 million refugees from Ukraine in 2024, according to Rosstat.