Russia has launched a new scheme to increase ‘alarming’ birth rates in certain cities, according to a new report from Russian news outlet Moskovskij Komsomolets. Yuri Krupnov, a demographic politician, explained to the outlet that the scheme will target regions where the birthrate is particularly low. Russia currently has a population of roughly 143 million, though this figure was published in 2021 before the war with Ukraine. Krupnov is concerned this number could half in the next 70 years.
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Indeed, although this issue reportedly predates Putin’s ‘special military operation’, news of it has surfaced as the British Defense ministry reports ‘extreme attrition and high turnover in Russia's deployed military’. This was issued on Saturday 23 September.
The ‘breeding scheme’
Krupnov explained that the details of the scheme are as of yet unclear. He stated that:
The positive thing is that the regions with the most difficult demographic situation have been identified and the goals of changing the situation have been declared.
While the pilot project is fairly confidential information, there are no methodological recommendations. I can’t yet imagine what creative things the government will offer for these regions.
He explained that Russia has 1.5 children in the average family where they need 2.5:
It is necessary to set a task at all levels of power: to reach this level within 20 years, let's say by 2045… To do this, we need to restore the family – today there are as many divorces in the country as there are marriages.
Russia comes in at 190th in the global birth rate ratings, according to the Daily Star. The scheme launched in early September.
Read more:Vladimir Putin’s former speechwriter reveals baffling truth about Russian President
Russia’s army suffering a ‘high turnover’
Meanwhile, the country is losing many lives in its war against Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) report made it clear that Putin’s military is suffering a high turnover ‘even amongst relatively senior ranks’.
According to the MOD’s intelligence, 3 successive commanders of ‘one of Russia's most prestigious airborne regiments’ have ‘either resigned or been killed’. The 247th Guards Air Assault Landing Regiment’s most recent commander Colonel Vasily Popov was likely killed earlier this month. His predecessor, Colonel Pytor Popov, reportedly resigned over the Russian military’s failure to recover the bodies of fallen soldiers. Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky was commander of the regiment until he died in 2022, near the beginning of Russia’s invasion.
According to the MOD, it is becoming common for the Russian army to lose commanders.The military loss of life is creating a 'high turnover' in a country that is dealing with an ‘alarming’ decrease in population.
Read more:
⋙ Russia is dealing with yet another crisis that will affect the health of millions of citizens
⋙ Vladimir Putin facing major challenge as war in Ukraine has cost Russia this outrageous amount
Sources used:
Daily Star: Russia launches new 'breeding scheme' as country faces threat of 'extinction'
Newsweek: Putin's Military Suffering From 'High Turnover' of Senior Officers: U.K.