What Happens to Russia’s Ethnic Minorities After the War?

What Happens to Russia’s Ethnic Minorities After the War?

Mistreatment, exploitation, and Russia’s own history suggest a precarious postwar future.

People take part in Mongolian Lunar New Year celebrations in Aga Buryatia, Russia. November 28, 2025, 9:40 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict three years on.

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Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine but also against some of its own people. At the forefront of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meat grinder—the macabre metaphor for Russia’s treatment of its own soldiers as expendable human waves—are various ethnic minorities from the poorest parts of Russia. As military recruiters sweep through Russia’s periphery, the war has hollowed out minority communi