Drunk recruits, insubordinate soldiers and convicts are among hundreds of military and civilian offenders pressed into Russian penal units known as "Storm-Z" squads and sent to the frontlines in Ukraine this year. Few live to tell their tale.

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[–] 23 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

At least Russia’s criminal population isn’t dominated by ethnic minorities.

I wonder if that's entirely true. I strongly suspect they're overrepresented. Historically the Soviets deported a lot of non-Russian minorities to penal colonies. Same thing now, where a lot of Ukrainians are being deported to the far east.

Russians are also quite frequently virulently racist. People from the Caucusus, central-Asia, etc. Anti-semitism too.

Of course, now they're disproportionately sending those minorities to die in Ukraine, so there's that.

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  • [+] -17 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Historically the Soviets deported a lot of non-Russian minorities to penal colonies.

    They did do that to a number of Axis powers fascists, because they were fascists.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The first deportations of ethnic minorities started in the 1920s.

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  • [+] -10 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    ??? The rise of fascism to serious prominence, and the existence of 'Axis' powers, predates World War II, try World War I for example.

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