No dates? Off to the front: Russia considers sending unmarried men to war
Illustrative photo: Amid the war, Russia has plunged into a demographic pit (Getty Images)
Due to a demographic crisis, Russian authorities are resorting to increasingly bizarre measures to pressure citizens into having children. Lawmakers in the State Duma (Lower House of the Parliament) are now considering penalties for unmarried men, including sending them to the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, according to a report from the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZR) notes in its report that Russia’s demographic crisis is no secret. The Kremlin’s attempts to restrict access to birth and mortality statistics have failed.
At the same time, the Russian leadership is fully aware that declining birth rates, an aging population, and high mortality pose a threat to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response, the government has resorted to radical and controversial measures in an attempt to reverse the crisis.
"In particular, State Duma deputies are reviewing a proposal from 'activists' to add unmarried men who do not attempt to start a family to a so-called blacklist maintained by the Interior Ministry. These men could face corrective labor or even be sent to the war if they do not go on dates within a three-month period," the report states.
However, repression cannot solve Russia’s demographic woes, which are compounded by the Kremlin’s failed migration policies. The country currently faces a severe labor shortage and is dependent on migrant workers from Central Asia and other former Soviet republics. Yet, increased reliance on migrants has led to security issues and a dramatic surge in xenophobia.
"Another alarming trend is the involvement of minors in the military-industrial complex. Children are being used in the production of drones employed in the war against Ukraine. These practices reflect a degradation of the state’s social standards and priorities, as it turns to coercion and repression, placing military objectives above the well-being of its citizens," the SZR concluded.
The war in Ukraine has already cost the Russian regime enormous human losses. As of July 24, Russia’s irreversible military losses total 1,046,270 personnel (including those killed in action, those who died from wounds, illness, or accidents, as well as those seriously wounded, captured, or deserters).
In addition, between 700,000 and one million Russians have emigrated from the country, unwilling to take part in the war for various reasons.
The situation has become so dire that Russia is now forcing abducted Ukrainian children to serve in its military once they turn 18 — sending them to fight against their own homeland.
