A look into Russia’s involvement in war from within
A look into Russia’s involvement in war from within
When Kirill Babkin was younger, he and his siblings became orphans after their mother, Alya, was deprived of parental rights due to alcoholism.
Last spring, after his mother’s death in a house fire, 19-year-old Babkin volunteered to join the war in Ukraine and signed a contract that promised a high salary to support his surviving siblings.
He was killed in Ukraine last September and was buried on December 11 in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, where Russia, with Iran’s help, produces Shahed model drones to destroy non-military infrastructure in Ukraine. When news of his death and his tragic story was published on the social network VKontakte, readers expressed their condolences and opinions on the war developments.
A person named Eldos wrote, ‘I’m sorry for his siblings. He tried to provide them with a comfortable life.’
It’s very painful and tragic, but another person wrote in response to this message, ‘He took up arms for the comfortable life of his family, to go to a foreign country and take the lives of its people. Truly sad.’
As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its third year, it opens small windows to significant changes in Russian society. Vladimir Putin’s increasingly authoritarian rule has silenced protesters and political opponents, stifling criticism of the armed forces or even open discussion about the nature or concept of war.
Suppressing any voice not aligned with the Kremlin has made it difficult for sociologists, polling centers, and journalists seeking the opinions of ordinary Russians, especially in more remote areas than Moscow and Saint Petersburg. In recent weeks, independent journalists have interviewed dozens of people, mostly in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, regions that have sent more human resources to the war and suffered more casualties than other parts of Russia. These interviews were conducted through encrypted messages on social networks, with all names changed to prevent punishment and threats from security services.
52-year-old social worker Irina from the city of Ufa says, ‘If we talk about war and its impact on each of us and our country, I can say things will get worse and worse. War is getting closer and the fear of it has become pervasive.’
Of course, this fear increases the hope that those who have not yet grasped the depth of the tragedy will eventually come to their senses. 30-year-old Alisa, who advertises for a commercial company based in the city of Samara on social networks, has written in response to journalists’ questions about the impact of war on her daily life, ‘What can I say? I no longer follow the news. It’s a defense mechanism to be able to continue seemingly normal life in these catastrophic conditions.’
Russian authorities do not disclose war casualties.
In the list of war casualties, jointly compiled by the Russian section of BBC and the Meduza magazine, the names of more than 90,000 people have been mentioned. Western intelligence officials estimate the casualties of Russian soldiers to be over 700,000. A British official predicted that by next autumn, the number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded on the Ukrainian fronts could reach one million.
Independent media estimates introduce Tatarstan and Bashkortostan as regions that have suffered the most damage from the war.
Erik, a 55-year-old from Ufa working for a cultural institution, says the voices of those who have remained in Russia are increasingly being silenced. According to him, many Russian citizens have chosen to remain silent and not express their thoughts.
However, one cannot turn a blind eye to the cemeteries filled with flags placed on new graves for disabled individuals walking the streets in military uniforms with a cane or in a wheelchair.
Chinese cars, old household items, and Iranian Coca-Cola.
Russia’s economy has significantly focused on strengthening the middle class in previous years, but after the start of the war against Ukraine, military industries are driving the economy.
Furthermore, Western sanctions have put pressure on employees and entrepreneurs, disrupted trade relations with Europe, and forced many companies to change their trade routes to the south and east. Those who spoke with independent and free journalists admitted that daily problems are increasing.
Many of them expressed surprise and dismay that instead of the products that the people of Russia had become accustomed to in recent years, they are now forced to make do with Iranian Coca-Cola and Chinese cars. However, 45-year-old Dennis, a researcher at Oufa University, says that Russian citizens are optimistic about the country’s economic resilience and look hopefully towards the future. According to him, the sounds of war have turned into a background noise for many people.
He further explains, ‘I can’t buy Italian clothes, I can’t fly to Barcelona for the weekend, I can’t buy a European car, or rather, I can do all these things but they are much more expensive than before.’ Dennis added, ‘Now instead of Barcelona, for example, you can travel to Bukhara, an ancient and very beautiful city. Of course, the cost of a flight to Bukhara is three times more expensive than the price of a ticket to Barcelona.’
Eric mentioned the increasing number of explosions in Chinese cars replacing Western brands and added that Chinese cars are disposable and in the future this issue may seriously affect us because currently repair shops cannot handle the volume of problematic cars. According to Eric, Chinese phones are also the same.
He also reported on the growth of household appliance repair services and explained that people are now repairing more old appliances and buying fewer new ones. This is happening while in Tatarstan and other provinces, volunteer soldiers who have received financial aid as rewards for signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense and for fighting in Ukraine or as compensation for the families of the deceased are boosting the local economy with their purchases. Larisa, a 28-year-old working in the cultural sector of the Samara government, says that she cannot say that the standard of living has decreased. On the contrary, in some areas, the minimum wage has increased, but with these wages, one cannot leave the country even if they wanted to.
For Rostam, a 27-year-old computer programmer from Saratov, being blocked from YouTube and Discord was the biggest issue last year. He says, ‘In 2024, I updated my computer and bought a new TV.’
However, severe inflation, rising interest rates, and the decreasing value of the national currency are affecting the standard of living. Of course, not to the extent of falling into poverty or going hungry.
In Samara, like other large and small cities in Russia, everywhere you look, patriotic propaganda along with rewards for volunteer soldiers stands out. Dmitry, a 41-year-old worker from Samara, says, ‘When I see these annoying advertisements with extravagant promises, I hold back my laughter so as not to burst out laughing.’ He added that in the past two to three months, the rewards for volunteers going to the front lines have doubled.
Dmitry adds, ‘To me, this indicates that the government cannot mobilize anyone and only tempts people with money.’ He further commented, ‘It’s interesting to know whether such money actually reaches these volunteers or not. I’ve heard from those who have gone to Ukraine that most of those who went to the front lines for money have been killed very quickly.’
