Whatever Putin’s reasons may be for systematically recruiting men from Russia’s ethnic minority regions and wantonly feeding them into the “meat grinder” that the war in Ukraine has become, the toll on these communities is increasingly being felt.
The division of labor in such traditional and hierarchical societies are clearly defined. Among the Nenets of the northern Russian tundra, the main traditional duty of men is the herding and husbandry of the reindeer … by the thousands … out on the cold frozen landscape. The women take care of everything else, including the construction of the traditional huts as well as the upkeep of the home.
The reindeer, often eaten raw, is the basis of life for the Nenets and other such societies at the farthest reaches of the Russian federation. The Reindeer even provides the clothing and shelter against the harsh weather conditions.
But the Russo-Ukrainian war has now cast its long baleful reach into these far-flung ethnic communities. The younger men, often lured by the blandishments of lucrative bonuses, and the beckoning of perhaps a more alluring and less difficult change of scenery, are signing up to fill the ranks of the Russian Z-regiments in Ukraine … and dying … in their multitudes, never to return to the tundra:
Vladislav Yaptunai was killed in Ukraine
A legion of young men from indigenous Nenets villages are perishing in the war. 26-year-old Vladislav Yaptunai is one of at least 17 members of the Yapuntai family that have been killed on the battlefield.
www.thebarentsobserver.com/…
A generation of reindeer herders is perishing in the war
Several hundred men from small indigenous communities in the Russian Arctic are on the frontline in Ukraine. Many of them will never return to the tundra.
www.thebarentsobserver.com/...
Even in the relatively “urbanized” area of Murmansk, home to the Russian Northern Fleet, the butcher’s bill for Putin’s war has been quite disastrous:
Murmansk region lost 10 percent of its population during the years of full-scale war
Up to 30 percent of the population has disappeared from some of the closed military towns of the Northern Fleet, according to calculations by the news-outlet Chronicles.
“The military experts we interviewed did not concur with each other. Some suggest that the changes may be related to hostilities in Ukraine... Others believe that residents may have simply left en masse, but experts do not recall large-scale troop movements or major infrastructure closures,” the Chronicles reported.
The Barents Observer has previously reported that small towns in northern Russia are in danger of disappearing. The population decline is linked to a lack of jobs, infrastructure degradation, and a general decline in quality of life. The population is aging, and the population is less and less able to renew itself. There is a difficult situation in the labour market as well. The shortage of workers is caused by many factors: an aging population, discriminatory policies towards migrants, emigration, and, of course, the war in Ukraine. The Barents Observer found that hundreds of soldiers from the Murmansk region are listed as missing.(emphasis mine)
www.thebarentsobserver.com/…
Not only is the population in this areas being decimated but the Russian government, unable to provide its own troops in Ukraine with one of the most effective weapons against FPV drones on the battlefield, is asking the hunters in these communities to give up their shotguns … to be sent to the Z-troops in Ukraine.
Tundra hunters are requested to donate weapons to the war
Authorities in northern Russia address indigenous communities with a plea: hand in your private hunting weapons and ammo to support warriors in Ukraine.
The army that previously branded itself as one of the world's strongest appears to be in a dire need of more guns. Authorities in the far northern Yamal-Nenets region have now started to reach out to locals.
"Dear residents of the Tazov area! You have the opportunity to donate weapons and ammunition in your possession for use in the special military operation," a social media post from the local government reads.
"Your support can make an important contribution to the common cause," the authorities emphasize.
www.thebarentsobserver.com/...
“The army that previously branded itself as one of the world's strongest appears to be in a dire need of more guns. Authorities in the far northern Yamal-Nenets region have now started to reach out to locals. "Why doesn't the Ministry of Defence buy the weapons from arms companies?" a local asks on a local social media page.”
Yep, 4 years on, in a war she did not ask for, ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE, has somehow stood her ground and managed to push the once proud Russian army into such straits.
SLAVA UKRAINI ! PEREMOHA(Victory)!!
