Russia-Ukraine Flash Report 17JAN24 13:15 PST - Russia has a Bashkortostan Problem

Despite -20 C weather and multiple arrests of activists on Tuesday, up to 10,000 protesters turned out to support activist Fail Alsynov in the Russian city of Baymak in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rosgvardia OMON and SOBR forces, and the FSB struggled to control the crowd, which threw snowballs and ice. Russian security forces responded with riot batons and teargas in an attempt to disrupt the crowd.

Environmental activist Alsynov was arrested for inciting hatred or enmity for using the phrase "kara halyk," which roughly translates to black people in Russian. In Turkic, which is spoken in the Baskortostan region of Russia, it translates to poor people. Bashkir and Russian are the official languages of Bashkortostan, and Bashkir is taught in schools.

Alsynov was convicted after making a speech opposed to a gold mine that was planned for the region, saying that the site would cause environmental damage and attract "poor people" to the area. His supporters say that the arrest has nothing to do with the gold mine or the speech and is revenge for previously blocking the construction of a soda ash mine. In that incident, the mine was going to be built on a site considered sacred by ethnic Bashkirs.

The situation has deteriorated to the point that Russia is blocking channels on Telegram that are providing information about the protests. As protesters clashed with police, thousands chanted, "We are the poor people."

Pictures and videos showed injured protesters and people suffering from teargas exposure.

The Republic has a population of about 3 million. Despite having only 2.1% of Russia's population, it has experienced the fourth-highest military losses in the Russia-Ukraine War. Outside observers have accused the Kremlin of using the war to ethnically cleans minority groups. Almost 70% of the population is Bashkirs or Tatars, and a majority of the population practices Sunni Islam. 

Despite being one of the most mineral and resource-rich regions in Russia, the average household income is just $409 a month, and the figures are inflated due to the significant number of residents who have joined the Russian Federation Armed Forces to escape poverty.

It is a rare display of significant unrest in Russia and support for an environmental activist.