It was long thought to be a subspecies of the southern birch mouse (S. subtilis), but a 2016 study found sufficient genetic and anatomical divergence for it to be considered its own species.

[3][4] It is restricted to the western portion of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, where it is known only from a few isolated populations in southern Ukraine, west Belgorod in Russia, and eastern Romania.

[1] This species has a fragmented distribution due to its reliance on the largely developed steppe habitat.

Populations in these fragmented regions also face ongoing threats from development and agriculture.

Due to this, this species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.