The New York Times analyzed private planes flying out of Moscow and found that before sanctions were imposed and Europe closed its airspace, they most often flew to Paris, Milan and Geneva.

After 24 February, wealthy Russians began flying to Central Asia and the Middle East, according to RadarBox.com, cited by the publication.

"By May, a new geography of the Russian elite had taken shape, data on nearly 2,000 flights analyzed by The New York Times shows. That world has one clear center: Dubai," the article says.

It is specified that until February only 3% of private flights leaving Russia were directed to the United Arab Emirates, mainly to Dubai. Since the closure of European airspace for Russia, no other country has seen such a surge in the number of Russians as in the UAE, notes the NYT.

The analysis covers both private planes and planes leased by commercial companies, although it is assumed that most of the planes are privately owned, the NYT specifies. The flight data demonstrate that the restrictions imposed on Russia have changed the lives and habits of the Russian elite, the newspaper said.

After the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the EU completely closed its airspace to Russian planes. The US also closed its airspace to Russian airlines. In response, the Federal Air Transport Agency closed the airspace for 36 countries.