You're completely right here, but I need to add: "ethnic Russians" are too a colony of Moscow, as the federal power puts all Russian regions in the position economic depression with how the mechanism of taxes and internal debt are implemented. Almost all regions are "dotational", which means that the federal government gives them money to cover their budget deficits, but this was not always the case.

This isn't about ethnicity, this is about strongmen in Moscow draining the country to fuel the ambitions and comfort of muscovites.

Don't forget the regions that supply natural resources for this gas station of a country. They feed Moscow with oil, diamonds, etc. Some of them I think used to require a visa for russians to enter until Putin.

They are the same Russians as others, thousands of them are killing Ukrainians right now, for money mostly.

Promise to get paid 2000$ per month is enough motivation to go to the other country thousands of kilometers away from their home and kill everyone there and probably die.

True

"a giant patchwork of colonies"

Sounds like the United States of America. Or Canada. Or Australia.

"drain and extract the resources of every minority"

Native Americans and Australian Aborigines can't agree more.