The Russian Federation is trampling international law, principles of humanism, and universal values with its systematic and targeted chauvinistic and IslamQophobic policies against national minorities. Behind this policy stands the Kremlin itself. The regime led by President Vladimir Putin has long turned racist and imperialist approaches into state policy. This is not merely a trend—it is the core ideological pillar of the new Putinism.
Repression Against Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg
Since the collapse of the USSR, chauvinism, Islamophobia, and ethnic hatred have resurged in Russia—this time in a more systematic and harsher form. The Kremlin leadership openly supports this, the ideological apparatus nourishes it, and law enforcement agencies enforce it. The state itself has now become the main executor of violence against non-Russians. Today, the police, the National Guard (“Rosgvardiya”), the FSB, and other official bodies beat, humiliate, and torture non-Russians—especially people of Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Chechen origin—solely because of their ethnicity and religion.
A few days ago, FSB agents stormed the home of an Azerbaijani family in Yekaterinburg and carried out a brutal operation without observing any legal procedures, once again proving the repressive nature of Russia. During this operation, two Azerbaijani brothers were brutally murdered, several others were seriously injured, and some of the detainees were brought before a court today, on June 29.
What happened cannot be considered an ordinary incident. It is a clear example of the generalized attitude of the Russian state towards non-Russians. This is not only a violation of the rights of those individuals but also a message to all Turkic and Muslim peoples: “You are second- or even third-class citizens in this country.”
State policy of Russia: Religious, racial, and ethnic discrimination
Religious, racial, and national discrimination has effectively become state policy in Russia. Access to social services, fair judicial rights, and economic opportunities are either prohibited or severely restricted for non-Russians. Being a Muslim or having a Turkic surname is now considered a risk factor in this country. Islam and its symbols—including the hijab, the adhan (call to prayer), and mosques—are presented as threats by Russian media, and the public is indoctrinated to harbor hatred toward other nations.
Historically, the Russian Empire has been known for its attempts to assimilate other nations and erase their cultural and political identities. During the Soviet period, this policy was implemented under the guise of “internationalism.” Today, there is no longer any need for disguise—every non-Russian nation is either an obedient object or an enemy to be destroyed in the eyes of Russia. If Russia treats Ukraine—a Slavic nation with linguistic and religious similarities—with such cruelty, bombing its cities and villages and committing genocide in Bucha, Kharkiv, and elsewhere, then it should not be surprising that it acts even more ruthlessly and inhumanely toward other nations, especially Turks and Muslims.
Tsarism, sovietism, and Putinism’s common trait: Russification and chauvinism
Ukrainian political scientist Oleksandr Kovalenko, who has experienced the repression of the Kremlin regime firsthand, harshly criticized Russia’s repressive and expansionist policies not only toward Ukraine but also the entire region in a statement to APA.
Kovalenko stated that Russia’s self-presentation as a “titular nation”—a dominant ethnic group—is a manifestation of an outdated and authoritarian imperial mentality: “This mindset is a legacy of Tsarist Russia, was turned into state ideology during the Soviet era, and today continues in the same aggressive form. Throughout history—whether as an empire or in its Soviet form—Russia has systematically belittled the national identity of neighboring peoples, refused to acknowledge their independent history, statehood, culture, and even their language. Other nations have been forcibly indoctrinated with the idea of the ‘superiority of being Russian.’ This tendency has not only persisted but has become even more overt and harsher today. In essence, Russia is a country that has never been able to overcome its historical complexes—forever dissatisfied with itself, always trying to play empire at the expense of others. Despite its vast territories and rich resources, Russia has never resolved its internal weaknesses. Instead, it has always tried to assimilate or exploit other nations. Its imperial nature has never changed. Expecting a quick and decisive victory, the Kremlin has now been bogged down in a quagmire for four years since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. The results of this failed adventurism have shattered Russia’s reputation both militarily and politically. The Russian leadership, now frustrated and weakened, no longer bothers to wear a mask and openly displays its racist attitude toward other nations, cultures, and religions. Today, non-Russian ethnic groups in Russia are in real danger.”
Russia systematically exploits former “brotherly” nations
The Ukrainian political analyst noted that nationwide raids are being conducted against migrants in Russia, who are treated not only as a rightless labor force but also as “manpower” for war: “These people, who acquire citizenship, are massively mobilized for the war in Ukraine. And this is state policy. This concerns all Central Asian and South Caucasus nations—Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Azerbaijanis. As Russia’s Investigative Committee Chairman Bastrykin proudly stated, since the beginning of 2025, 80,000 migrants have been detained for allegedly violating military registration rules, and 20,000 of them have already been sent to the front. This is blatant human trafficking and a policy of ethnic cleansing through forced conscription. People come to Russia with hopes for a better life, seeking to work, live, and progress. Instead, they face deportation to the war front and the risk of death. For Russia, other nations are neither partners nor neighbors—they are simply resources to be used, objects to exploit, masses to mobilize. Historically, this country has systematically exploited not only the small ethnic groups within its borders but also all the nations oppressed under the guise of “great brotherhood” during the Soviet era. Today, we are witnessing an even harsher form of this exploitation, hatred, and expansionist mentality. Once, some citizens of the former Soviet republics looked to Russia with hope and tried to build a life there. Today, for anyone with a different religious or cultural identity, Russia is a potential repression zone. Moving to Russia no longer means building a new life—it means putting your life at risk. Russia today is synonymous with a dangerous, hostile, and brutal system. Living there means being on the brink of the abyss.”
Russian security structures know no law or ethics when it comes to non-Russians
The political scientist emphasized that Russian security forces use violence against non-Russian nationalities and members of other religions without regard for law or ethics: “This has been documented multiple times in modern Russia and, in some cases, is even becoming normalized by society. One of the reasons for the increasing aggression and violence toward other nations and religions today is the growing public dissatisfaction with the country’s economic situation, declining standards of living, and mounting psychological and moral tensions. All of these are directly related to their failure in Ukraine. The Russian government, unable to carry out a large-scale offensive operation against a smaller country and having suffered reputational collapse, now tries to compensate by using violence against other ethnic groups within the country. If in the past they tried to somewhat conceal their chauvinistic and ultra-aggressive nationalism, today nearly all security forces have received a direct ‘green light’ from the country's leadership—they have been instructed to act as harshly as possible against representatives of other nationalities without any limitations.”
Azerbaijan’s independent policy is intolerable for Russia
The Ukrainian expert noted that Azerbaijan is one of the rare countries that pursues an independent policy both regionally and domestically, and for this reason, Russia has recently been trying to exert pressure on Baku through various means. This has led to a deterioration in relations between the two countries.
“Moscow is especially pressuring Baku over the issue of the Azerbaijani passenger plane that was shot down by Russian air defense systems in Chechen airspace, as well as on many other matters. However, despite all this, Azerbaijan continues to demonstrate a firm stance in both domestic and foreign policy, which is politically unacceptable to Russia. Therefore, it would not be surprising if Azerbaijani citizens currently living in the Russian Federation also fall into the risk zone. Because wherever Russia cannot exert pressure through diplomatic, political, economic, or military means, it resorts to its usual method—terror, by restricting human rights and freedoms. Now this terror is being implemented at an interethnic level, targeting citizens of other countries living in Russia. Therefore, I believe that foreigners coming to Russia for work, business, or other reasons—including Azerbaijanis—or those who have lived there for years, are genuinely facing increasing threats and risks of pressure,” political analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko concluded.
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