> A lot of my IT friends have fled the country, almost everyone who could. My heart is bleeding thinking of friends who wanted to leave on March 9, not sure what they can do now.

Depending on where in Russian they live. They could flee in their car. Finland seem to be popular (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60624500). The Baltics, Norway and possibly Sweden on a ferry or boat could also be options.