Vladimir Putin could see his efforts to strengthen Russia’s military presence in Ukraine undermined amid a clash with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Russian leader has maintained the support of Patriarch Kirill since the start of the invasion, which the religious leader insisted was justified on a spiritual level.
But the Patriarch has now slammed Putin’s plans for the mobilisation of more men to renew his attempts to take over Ukraine.
The main point of contention for the religious leader is the Kremlin’s decision to include fathers of three or more children in the next mobilisation wave.
Patriarch Kirill claimed the war effort has exacerbated Russia’s demographic crisis, saying fathers of large families should not be made to fight but rather focus on “stimulating” the birth rate.
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Addressing a meeting of the Russian Federation Council, he said: “For the purpose of saving people and stimulating the birth rate in Russia, I consider it important…at the federal level to legally prohibit the mobilisation in peacetime of fathers of large families with three or more children.
“According to the current law, fathers of four children have the right to a deferment.
“But it is necessary to provide the same rights and for families with three children, it is precisely such a family that gives, although minimal, a real increase in our population.”
The high casualty rate Russia has been experiencing for months in Ukraine has exacerbated a long-time problem for Russia – a considerable decline in Russia’s population.
The country’s federal statistic centre, Rosstat, warned Russia could experience a drop in its population rate of more than 700,000 per year within the next 20 years.
