War on two fronts – soldiers and babies

A military recruiting billboard in Kursk, Russia. — Photos: ©2024 The New York Times Company

WHAT the Kremlin wants from Russians now boils down to two things: men should join the army, and women should have more children.

In recent months, the Russian government has doubled sign-up bonuses for soldiers and launched a massive recruitment drive across the media and streets. A new law even allows criminal suspects to avoid trial by enlisting to fight.