Understanding Russia’s Family Policy for Wartime Resilience
By John Kay, University of Helsinki
Executive Summary
- Russia’s ability to sustain its war against Ukraine depends not only on military capacity but on how the state manages the social and economic pressures placed on families.
- So-called “traditional” spiritual-moral values provide the ideological framework through which the state justifies sacrifice, promotes compliance, and assigns meaning to the disruption of family life caused by the war in Ukraine.
- Extensive financial and social benefits for military families help stabilize the home front and support recruitment, but these measures are costly and may be difficult to sustain over time.
- The war’s impact on families is uneven across regions, creating long-term demographic and social vulnerabilities that could undermine Russia’s post-war stability.
- Russian family policy prioritizes material support and narrative control while existing structures are inadequately prepared to address key problems of veteran reintegration, including mental health challenges and increased risks of domestic violence.