Vladimir Putin is confronted with a significant political uprising as Bashkiri nationalists demand independence from Russia, posing a threat to the country’s territorial integrity and potentially inspiring other dissident regions. The Bashkirs, an ethnic minority of Kipchak Turkic descent, inhabit their autonomous republic, Bashkortostan, located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains in eastern Russia. With approximately four million Bashkirs, Bashkortostan is the seventh most populous republic in Russia.
Nationalist activists from Bashkortostan have startled the Kremlin by announcing the formation of their own army, intending to fight for a “free Bashkortostan” and seeking independence from Moscow. This move is a response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which has strained relations between the Kremlin and ethnic groups, especially as these minorities bear the brunt of military recruitment efforts and suffer losses in the conflict.
Ruslan Gabbasov, a nationalist leader, emphasized that Putin’s war in Ukraine had no connection to the concerns of the Bashkirs, stating that Ukrainians have not harmed them, but the Russian empire has suppressed their language and imprisoned their leaders. The “Committee of the Bashkir Resistance,” a Telegram channel, was created to organize national resistance against Putin’s rule in Bashkortostan, vowing against mobilization in a free Bashkortostan.
The appearance of this group coincided with attacks on government buildings, arson at army recruitment centers, and offices of political parties. Leaflets have been distributed, urging people to evade the draft, take up arms, and prepare for battle. This unrest mirrors Ukraine’s parliament’s recent resolution recognizing the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as temporarily occupied by Russia, condemning the genocide of the Chechen people. The resolution highlights the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, questioning Russia’s actions against Chechnya’s independence declaration in 1991. The situation indicates a rising tide of resistance within Russia’s diverse ethnic landscape as Putin faces challenges to his military endeavors.
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