cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/45454904 > Archived > > Mounting economic hardship and growing public discontent could push Russia toward internal conflict, a senior Kremlin official has warned. > > The stark message comes as inflation, war fatigue, and social divisions deepen across the country. > > Alexander Kharichev, head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysing Social Processes, issued the warning in a state-run journal. > > […] > > Military over social spending > > Rising prices have hit ordinary Russians hard, with food costs climbing well above the national inflation rate. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat, and layoffs and bankruptcies loom large. > > Despite the pressure, the Kremlin continues to prioritize military spending over social welfare. > > At the same time, Russia’s workforce has been decimated by more than a million war casualties, mostly men of working age, worsening the long-term demographic decline and ageing population. > > […] > > Kharichev warned of “fragmentation of society” and the “loss of Russia’s ability to fight for its survival.” > > His analysis cited the growing erosion of public trust in government and widening rifts within Russian society. > > […]