Vladimir Putin's supporters are increasingly turning against the Kremlin over Muslim migration from Central Asia into Russia.
Prominent military bloggers and nationalist channels with massive followings have criticised the government's immigration policies.
They are drawing comparisons between Russian cities and European urban centres with large minority populations.
Rybar, a Telegram blog with over 1.3 million subscribers whose founder was awarded by Putin, recently posted a scathing analysis of Russia's changing demographics.
Vladimir Putin's supporters are increasingly turning against the Kremlin over Muslim migration from Central Asia into Russia
Reuters
The channel produced a video focusing on the Moscow suburb of Kotelniki, claiming only 50 per cent of local schoolchildren were ethnically Russian.
It highlighted areas where migrants allegedly attacked residents and identified locations of "illegal mosques."
The demographic challenges facing Russia have been severe since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with birth rates plummeting.
The situation has worsened due to the Ukraine war, with workers being diverted to the army and defence industries.
This has resulted in a record low unemployment rate of 2.3 per cent, forcing the Kremlin to rely on migrant labour.
Responding to the Rybar report, Ria Katyusha, another Russian nationalist channel, compared the situation in Kotelniki to "similar stories about Paris, Hamburg or British cities".
Boris Rozhin, a blogger with more than 850,000 subscribers, said the Moscow suburb's transformation was reminiscent of the "minority dominated neighbourhoods in Marseille and Paris".
Ethnic tensions in Russia boiled over following the Crocus Hall terror attack last year, where authorities said Tajik Islamists killed 145 people at a rock concert.
In response, legislation was amended giving police powers to expel migrants without court orders.
Reports and footage circulated of police raids on migrant dormitories, mosques, construction sites and warehouses.
Despite the crackdown, the Kremlin continues to emphasise the need for foreign workers.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's press secretary, told state media in November that "migrants are a necessity".
"The fact is, we are facing a very strained demographic situation," he continued. "We live in the largest country in the world, but there are very few of us."
In Kotelniki, both sides of an ethnic dispute appealed directly to Putin for intervention.
Russian media reported riot police raiding an illegal mosque following complaints from a Telegram channel called Russian Community Zov.
Days later, the Muslims involved released a video statement asking Putin for protection, noting their congregation included Ukraine war participants.
A poll published in May 2024 by the Moscow-based Levada Center found that 56 per cent of Russians surveyed would only allow people from Central Asia into the country temporarily, or block their entry entirely.
Despite this sentiment, migrants from Central Asia obtain citizenship in large numbers, with 174,000 Tajik nationals becoming Russian citizens in 2022, up from 104,000 in 2021.
Russia's military bloggers wield significant influence with their gonzo reporting style and massive followings.
Russia's population crisis is evident in UN data showing the median age has risen to 40.3 from 23 in 1950, while the fertility rate has dropped to 1.5.
The Atlantic Council predicted last year that Putin's war has "virtually guaranteed" Russia will become "ethnically less Russian and more religiously diverse" for generations.
