OREANDA-NEWS  About 100 thousand Russian IT specialists are currently located outside the country. This was announced on December 20 by the head of the Ministry of Finance Maksut Shadaev.

"Many have returned, but about 100 thousand IT specialists are outside the country, while 80% of them continue to work for Russian companies while in friendly countries," he said, speaking at the government hour in the State Duma.

In early December, the head of the Federation Council Committee on state Construction and constitutional Legislation, Andrei Klishas, proposed to make the stay abroad of Russians who left the country "less comfortable". In particular, he said that a bill will be submitted to the State Duma providing for restrictions on remote work for Russians who have left.

The Ministry of Finance of Russia stated that they do not support the introduction of a legislative ban on remote work in IT companies for employees located abroad.

According to the ministry, the introduction of a total ban may lead to a decrease in the pace of development of digital platforms and solutions, which may eventually negatively affect their competitiveness.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there are no discussions in the Kremlin on possible punishments for those Russians who left the country and went to work abroad amid mobilization.

In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with human rights activists on December 7, noted that the departure of some citizens abroad this year against the background of a special operation and mobilization is "a separate big topic for conversation," and refrained from any assessments.