Ukraine 8

[Hoodat]

‘Are You All Cowards?’: Russian Universities Pressure Students to Fight in Ukraine

March 23, 2026

When military recruiters arrived at the Lunin College of Transport Technologies in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk last month, they hoped they would find students willing to enlist as drone operators — but few took up the offer.

College president Maria Kirsanova fumed that she had expected “her kids” — around 400 students over the age of 18 — to be “the first to go and defend their Fatherland.”

“Who put the fear into you? Who will protect us?” she asked at a meeting with students, which was recorded by one of the attendees and published online.

“Are you all cowards here sitting and being scared for your lives?” she said, scolding students for what she called a fear of returning home “in zinc coffins.”

Russia has increasingly turned to universities as a fresh source of recruits for its four-year war in Ukraine as enlistment numbers dwindle and war casualties soar into the hundreds of thousands.

While Russia’s mass army sign-up campaign with promises of high pay started shortly after the full-scale invasion in 2022, efforts targeting students in particular have intensified since January, said Idite Lesom (“Get Lost”), an NGO that helps Russians avoid conscription.

Recruitment сampaigns
The timing of these campaigns is tied to the academic calendar. Military recruiters often use the winter exam season to target students, especially those with low grades or retakes, Idite Lesom spokesperson Ivan Chuviliaev told The Moscow Times.

Efforts to push students into the army can take one of several different forms.  .  .  .

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/23/are-you-all-cowards-russian-universities-pressure-students-to-fight-in-ukraine-a92307

[DB]

Russia is selling its future generations for some sort of sick glory in death. A very sick country.

[BobfromWB]

[BobfromWB]

[MeganC]

russia population demographics 2025

+7
As of January 1, 2025, Russia's population is estimated at approximately 143.5 to 146 million, continuing a trend of decline driven by low birth rates, high death rates, and emigration. The nation is experiencing a severe demographic crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, with a low total fertility rate of roughly 1.37–1.5, significantly below the 2.1 replacement level.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
 +4
Key Demographic Data 2025
Total Population: Estimated ~143.5–146 million.
Population Growth: Negative, roughly -0.32% to -0.57% annually.
Fertility Rate: ~1.37–1.5 children per woman.
Age Structure: ~17% under 15, ~65% aged 15-64, and ~16-18% aged 65+.
Life Expectancy: ~73 years (68 for males, 79 for females).
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
 +4
Core Demographic Trends
Aging Population: Russia has a "constrictive" population pyramid, characteristic of developed nations with low fertility and a growing elderly population (65+).
Labor Shortages: An aging population combined with fewer young people entering the workforce is creating significant labor shortages.
Natural Decline: Deaths continue to outpace births, with 2024 seeing a net natural decrease of around 600,000.
Regional Imbalances: While Moscow and surrounding areas remain heavily populated, many regions are experiencing severe depopulation.
Sex Ratio: The population shows a high disparity, with women significantly outnumbering men.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
 +5
The government faces, at best, a mild population drop to 143 million by 2036, or a more severe drop, with long-term concerns over economic and security stability, according to Statista.
The Jamestown Foundation
The Jamestown Foundation
 +1
Demographics of Russia - Wikipedia
Russia has an estimated population of 146.0 million as of 1 January 2025, down from 147.2 million recorded in the 2021 census. It is the most populous country i...

Wikipedia

Russia Population Pyramid 2025 - Demographics & Birth Statistics
Complete Age Distribution & Youth Demographics. Russia shows a constrictive population structure with significant youth demographics. 17.0% 24,519,136. 65.2% 93...

www.populationpyramids.org
Russia's Demographic Problems Set Stage for Future Political ...
Apr 29, 2025 — Russia's Demographic Problems Set Stage for Future Political Challenges. Executive Summary: Russia's demographic decline is accelerating, with the population gi...

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Population of Russia 2025 - Statista
Nov 28, 2025 — Russian population size 1959-2025. Published by Statista Research Department, Nov 28, 2025. As of January 1, 2025, more than 146 million people were estimated t...

Statista

Russian Federation Population 2025 - United Nations Population Fund
Total population in millions, 2025: 144. Population annual doubling time, years, 2025: - Population aged 0-14, per cent, 2025: 17. Population aged 10-19, per ce...

United Nations Population Fund

Russia Population (1950-2025) - Macrotrends
Total current population for Russia in 2025 was 143,494,210, a 0.32% decline from 2024. * Total population for Russia in 2024 was. * Total population for Russia...

Macrotrends
Russia Population (2026) - Worldometer
Table_title: Russia Population (LIVE) Table_content: header: | Year | Yearly Growth Rate | row: | Year: 2022 | Yearly Growth Rate: -0.18% | row: | Year: 2023 | ...

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Russia's Demographic Vanishing Act: A Warning From History
Aug 6, 2025 — Russia's demographic crisis is a threat to the country's long-term stability. The country's population is already declining, peaking at 149 million in 1994 and ...

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Aging of Russia - Wikipedia
In the economic sphere The demographic crisis has a positive economic effect on the second stage of the changing age structure of the population (the fraction o...

Wikipedia

Russia Population 2026
Mar 20, 2026 — Population of Russia Russia's population structure shows a notably lower male to female ratio of 0.86 to 1, with a median male age of 39.15 years old and a medi...

World Population Review

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[MeganC]

I posted the above because the indicators such as lack of young men to recruit would lead me to think Russia's population crisis is worse than they've been letting on.