Russia's demographic landscape is far from homogenous; the nation is home to over a hundred ethnic groups. In certain areas, the Russian population dips below 30%, giving rise to "ethnic islands ...

SBS Russian spoke to Sargylana about the foundation ... where she talked about how the mobilization disproportionately affected smaller ethnic groups of Siberia.

The Pope added that "the one who invades is the Russian state". Chechens, an ethnic group originating in Chechnya, in the south-west of Russia, are mostly Muslim. Buryats, a Mongol ethnic group ...

-- with large Russian-speaking populations -- could be in his sights.

Nikolayenko, Olena 2008. Life Cycle, Generational and Period Effects on Protest Potential in Yeltsin's Russia. Canadian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 41, Issue. 2, p. 437.

In a bold move addressing Russia's looming demographic crisis, President Vladimir Putin has made a passionate appeal to the nation's citizens, emphasizing the urgency of increasing the birth rate ...