Russian Indigenous communities face dire war toll far from home
Russian indigenous communities, located approximately 1,900 miles from Ukraine, are experiencing the dramatic effects of the war. According to "Metro," many of them were previously engaged in reindeer herding in the northern regions of the country. They were mobilized at the very beginning of the war, and many have not returned home.
The mobilization includes men from the Yamalo-Nenets and Komi regions, who are accustomed to harsh conditions. Among them is 19-year-old Dmitry Yaptik, a representative of the Nenets people, who was taken prisoner.
The Nenets population…is dying out, he says, emphasising that all his companions perished. "For example, in my own nation, the Itelmen nation, we have only a population of around 2,200 people so even several people dying in this war is a huge loss for us, especially in the northern villages. Every indigenous family has been impacted by the war, in one way or another," he says.
He is said to come from the village of Seyakha, which is the northernmost settlement. He was a mortar operator and was sent to capture Shcherbynka in the Donetsk region, but hid in a basement after his vehicle was destroyed, where he was captured.
The International Committee of Russian Indigenous Peoples claims that the resilience of these populations is deemed satisfactory enough for commanders to send them to areas with the highest casualty rates.
Most of the Nenets from Yamal go to war under voluntary contracts or are recruited from prisons, Dmitry Berezhkov, editor-in-chief of "Indigenous Russia," tells "Metro." That's how Andrei Laptander, representing the Nenets population, reportedly left prison and subsequently died near Bakhmut. Yana Tannagasheva, a representative of the Shor people, described Russia as an "aggressive colonizer" that exploits ethnic groups to achieve its war goals, adds "Metro."
We understand that the rate of casualties among the Nenets and other indigenous people is much higher than among other local populations in Russia. Among indigenous people, and especially the reindeer herders, the general level of education and access to information sources outside the state propaganda machine is low. They go to fight for their homeland, with no understanding that it’s not a rightful war, reports Berezhkov.
The population is offered from 150,000 to 300,000 rubles (about $1,700 to $3,400) per month, even for potential death.
Similarly, the Yupik people are sent to certain death. "There are three [Innuit] villages in Russia with around 1,500 of us. About 100 native people were drafted in the first wave. I have pictures showing there were no white faces, only natives," says the representative of the people in an interview with "Metro."
