Putin Sends Cossacks, Once Tsars' Warriors, to Ukraine Front

President Vladimir Putin is deploying Cossack fighters to the war in Ukraine. This revives a military tradition that dates back centuries. Cossacks were once the prized warriors of Russia’s tsars. However, they were largely suppressed during the Soviet era. Under Putin, Cossack groups have regained an official role. They now often work as an auxiliary police force inside Russia. Their deployment to a major war marks a further step in their restoration. This move reinforces Russian military forces with units that have a distinct historical identity. It places the Cossacks back on the front lines of a modern conflict.