Part 5/10:
Russia, despite its larger population—around 144 million—faces similar demographic challenges. Putin’s push into Ukraine also carries the goal of absorbing Ukrainian populations, coupled with efforts to address declining birth rates. Since the war began, at least 600,000 Russians have fled the country, exacerbating labor shortages. Russia’s birth rate has hit a 25-year low, with fewer than 100,000 live births in the first half of 2024. The Kremlin has taken extreme measures to bolster the population, including pressuring Ukrainians in occupied territories into citizenship and, in some cases, abducting Ukrainian children—actions that have led to war crimes accusations against Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC).