Russia is home to 23 million Muslims.  Well, that’s what Russia’s chief Islamic cleric says, anyway:

“They are indigenous residents of our country, they are not migrants or immigrants and have been living here from time immemorial,” Gaynutdin said.

He went on to say that “the number of people professing Islam in Russia is constantly growing”.

Gaynutdin is probably exaggerating to a certain degree - as these further statistics cited by Mosnews would appear to indicate:

According to average poll results, five percent of adult citizens in Russia (about 7 million people) regard themselves as Muslims. According to the 2002 census, the number of people in Russia claiming to be Muslims totalled 14.5 million, Interfax added.

Still, whichever figure turns out to be the most accurate, there are lots of Muslims in Russia.  More, I think, than any other country in Europe bar Turkey.  In fact, Russia is far more of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious (is that a real term?) country than most realise, and this is at the heart of many of its security issues.  The Russian government simply cannot afford to continue burying its head in the sand over this issue.  (Although, of course, it will).