(ULAN-UDE, BURYATIA) – Deputies of the local parliament in the Republic of Buryatia have compiled a formal list of questions demanding that the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin visit the region personally. The list exposes deep economic distress, soaring fuel prices, empty regional budgets, and constant internet restrictions.
The Buryat lawmakers specifically cited “very high prices on gasoline that destroy their local businesses” and “empty regional budgets.” They stated that many Russian regions surrender all their profits to Moscow and never see the funds returned.
The more Moscow spends on the war and on protecting favoured businesses, the less people in regions like Buryatia, Bashkortostan, and Tatarstan receive. Deputies questioned why they remain tied to Moscow, concluding it is only because they were occupied years ago.
Buryatia has already lost 2 percent of its male population, a casualty rate officials link directly to the war. The region also faces ecology concerns, internet shutdowns, and the constant threat of drone strikes.
The protest signals growing national consciousness among non-Russian ethnic republics. Similar movements demanding native language rights and cultural autonomy have emerged in Tatarstan, where deputies want only the Tatar language spoken, and in Bashkortostan. The Kremlin previously mocked and suppressed such national cultures.
The Buryat activist community includes a founder of the Free Nations League, an organisation working towards decolonisation and dissolution of the Russian Federation. Observer Anna from Ukraine noted this marks one of the first clear signals sent to similar national republics suffering as the Kremlin extracts their resources and men.
Putin had reportedly remained in Moscow bunkers for more than 200 days and only recently began travelling, likely due to September elections. The deputies saw an opportunity and addressed him directly, though in Russia such appeals often go unanswered.
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