When I look at the casualties from Ukraine, I see many names from Kazakh, Buryat, Altai, Tuvan regions. Not many Russian names. Why is this? This is probably because of economics situation.
In Altai Republic, about 85% of people live in poverty. Life expectancy is only 44 years. These areas have natural resources , oil, minerals, forests. But the money goes to Moscow. The local people stay poor.
When you grow up poor with no school, no job. So the army is the only choice. The pay is better than village work. You get respect. Your family gets money.
I think this creates problem:
Minorities go to front line with old equipment and little training. Russian soldiers from cities get safer jobs in back. When minority soldiers die, nobody really talks about it. Just numbers.
I think this is intentional and the pattern is very clear.
Historical context:
This system started in Tsarist time, continued in Soviet time (though some things improved then), and continues now. Current government does not invest in minority regions. It takes resources out.
Maybe this is not on purpose. Maybe it is just how system works. But result is same β young men from poor ethnic regions die more than ethnic Russians.
Resources
- https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/02/24/2-years-into-ukraine-war-russias-ethnic-minorities-disproportionately-killed-in-battle-a84170
- https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2130085.html
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/william-simpson-obe-21a34b10_food-for-thought-bashkirs-a-turkic-speaking-activity-7199743521237417985-QGaR
- https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/05/30/7514771/
- https://cepa.org/article/the-kremlins-new-imperial-crackdown-on-the-captive-peoples/
- https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol48/31/48-31.pdf
- https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/264631528313757152/pdf/ACS22573-P160422-OUO-9.pdf
- https://abn.org.ua/en/analysis/media-identified-over-110000-russians-killed-in-the-war-most-from-poor-regions-of-siberia/
Thanks for the edited post reapload.