Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
Are there many Ukrainians in the borderlands of Russia? I guess it doesn't make sense to me that Russian nationals would be so inspired to rise up like this.
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At one time there used to be, but the Holodomor took care of that. The ethno-cultural realm of Ukrainians used to extend past Ukraine's borders through the Caucasus into Kazakhstan, but the Holodomor and forced relocation of Ukrainians pretty much successfully ethnically cleansed them from the area. It's the main reason why there are so many ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine to begin with. The Holodomor caused such a labour shortage, that the USSR settled in Russians to take over the lands. I think some Russians in the region have always had an uneasy feeling that that one day they would have to give back what was stolen, which is part of their aggressive nature in that region.