Longevity.

This is coolbert:

A few years after the demise of the old Soviet Union, an American doctor made an investigative trip to the Russian Federation.

What this doctor found shocked him. The life expectancy of a Russian man was around 59 years of age??!! Much less than what had been expected.

This very reduced life expectancy is due to a variety of factors. Bad diet, excessive smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverage, bad mental attitude, poor health care, environmental degradation.

Not ONLY was the life expectancy low, but life expectancy was declining further. It is surmised that in decades to come, the Russian populace will BE ON THE WAY OUT!! A nation NOT only able to sustain itself as it is now, but deteriorating markedly. Yes, even frighteningly so!!

And this dilemma facing the Russians DOES have a military aspect to it.

Where in the future will enough fit young men be found to serve in the military?? Even reduced in size and stature, the Russians still have to guard their vast expanse of territory from intrusion. Perhaps from a future Chinese threat!!??

The Russians are obviously VERY alarmed by this manpower problem.

So much so that shortly after this American doctor announced his findings, President Putin declared that EVERY EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD RUSSIAN YOUNG MAN MUST IMMEDIATELY REPORT FOR A MANDATORY PHYSICAL EXAM. So that Russian leaders can evaluate fully the status of their youth and mandate measure to improve the overall health thereof!!

If this is not done, in the future, you will not only NOT have troops of the Spetsnaz caliber, you WILL NOT have adequate raw manpower to fulfill even the most menial of military positions!! Period!!

NOT having sufficient numbers of youth of sound physical health IS a pressing problem for the future of Russia!! NOT ONLY America has a problem in this area!!

coolbert.