Besides the military hardware it depends on to hold back enemy forces, Ukraine is struggling with another equally urgent shortage in its fourth year of war against the Russian invaders. It needs more people.
“Drones and kids, kids and drones,” was how Taras Chmut, who runs a charity that buys equipment for soldiers, summed up the country’s greatest needs. He has supplied thousands of drones to Ukraine’s armed forces. But procuring “kids” is a different matter.
With three times more deaths than births, Ukraine has the highest mortality rate in the world and one of the lowest birth rates, a demographic crisis for which there is no swift remedy.
An estimated seven million Ukrainians, or one sixth of the pre-war population, have fled overseas, a
aWhiteWildLion on March 12nd, 2025 at 05:59 UTC »
Since the war started, Ukraine’s lost 25–35% of its population, and it’s aging fast. By 2030, over 30% of the country will be elderly. Add to that the huge number of young men killed or injured in battle and a crashing birth rate, and things are looking rough. Even when the war ends, Ukraine will still be dealing with a shrinking workforce and a longterm demographic mess. No matter how you look at it, the country’s in serious trouble.
Dubious_Bot on March 12nd, 2025 at 05:28 UTC »
Disagree on babies being more important than weapons when there is no guarantees of security, with war looming around the corner people will leave if given the chance.
alpacinohairline on March 12nd, 2025 at 05:20 UTC »
This is just most of the Western World. Even Russia has this issue too, iirc Putin was trying to advertise interracial relationships to pump them numbers up.
https://www.economist.com/china/2024/05/09/why-young-russian-women-appear-so-eager-to-marry-chinese-men