Muslim Tatars the fighter of Kyiv now fighting Russian's in Ukraine

The Tatars Muslims in Ukraine.

 

This group of Muslim volunteers is fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“With God almighty grace, we will liberate this country from these Russians. Hang in there everything will be fine.” (Isa Akaev)

After finding mass graves of Ukrainian families they're even more committed to the resistance.

”I firmly believe I will fight until the bitter end”. (Isa Akaev) even as they observe the holy month of Ramadan fighting continues at the root of their struggle is a deep desire to find a way back home to the Crimean peninsula yeah at least has.

 

Isa Akaev co-Founder of the Crimea battalion.

“Isa Akaev is not my real name but I am known as Isa Akaev, and that’s why I will say it”. (Isa Akaev co-Founder of Crimea battalion) Isa Akaev is ethnically Tatar and used to live in Crimea a peninsula in the south of Ukraine that was annexed by Russia in 2014. The Crimea battalion is made up of primarily Muslim volunteers only a handful of them have previous military training.

A couple of days after the war started released an open call in one of his videos for Muslims to join him in the fight for Ukraine. “My dear beloved brother, Russian are trying to take our dignity. And we can fight them by all means allowed by Islamic law” (Isa Akaev). 

In a few days, the group grew from 15 to roughly 100 members. “Since the beginning of the war, we have taken an active role. Some engage in combat. While others guard checkpoints to keep the peace.”(Isa Akaev).

Of these the group has been fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv recently they swept for mines and any remaining Russian fighters who might still be in the area.” During this war, we have participated in many different operations, like the liberation of Motyzkyn. We were among the first troops who entered that village. ” (Isa Akaev).

In that village, the battalion found civilian mass graves. They recorded and a survivor was able to identify some of the bodies. “They were a woman, her husband, and a kid. Suck a sick thing they do.”(Isa Akaev). 

These mass graves are not isolated incidents Ukraine has reported nearly 11 000 alleged crimes since the conflict began and is preparing to prosecute Russian soldiers in their custody for war crimes. “When you see civilians, woman. Just ordinary people. And you can imagine all the horrors they lived.” (Isa Akaev).

Some of the battalion's fiercest fighting happened in this zoo.

“When we first came here, the house on the corner was intact. It was a checkpoint. We talked to the people in it. We came back days later, and a tank had shelled this checkpoint and killing eight people instantly. Russians came with tanks and crushed several cars with people in them. What happened here was awful. But actually, Russia did the same wherever they were in Ukraine. First, it gave me a sense of bitterness, but now I want to fight until the bitter end. And I believe this is our duty to all humankind. ” (Isa Akaev).

Today roughly 400 000 Muslims live in Ukraine most of them are Crimean Tatars. “ When I came to Kyiv in 2014, I realized people knew almost nothing about Crimean Tatars”.(Isa Akaev).

Tatars have faced a long history of persecution since world war 2. 

Stalin accused the Tatars of working with the Nazis and expelled roughly 220 000 of them from the peninsula.

“I was born in Central Asia, where my parents were deported in 1944.”.(Isa Akaev).

Deported Tatars were only able to go back in the late 80s just before the collapse of the soviet union.

“In 1089,  I returned to Crimea, and I lived in Crimea a since then”.(Isa Akaev).

But that all changed in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. It was a move supported by many in the region but Asia who was against the Russian takeover left the peninsula. Around the same time, pro-Russian protests expanded into a civil war in the Donbas region just like today. Ordinary people took up arms to fight back against the Moscow-backed forces.

“when the Donbas war started. I joined immediately ”. (Isa Akaev).

That is when he founded the Crimea battalion since then Isa Akaev and his family settled in Kyiv among tens of thousands of Tartars who were now living in Exile. Isa Akaev's family has been fighting to keep their culture alive.

 “Our family lives like Crimean Tatars. We speak our mother tongue. We tell each other stories about our family and our culture. I have 13 kids. Seven boys and six girls. And have two grandkids”. (Isa Akaev).

This is the month of Ramadan traditionally Isa Akaev would break his daily fast with a family iftar but his wife and kids are now in Turkey living as refugees. “I feel like I am not going to see them for a long time. And I don’t know how long it will take but I hope it works out. We will liberate Crimea and they will return home”. (Isa Akaev).

several battalion men gather for iftar in this Muslim community center in Kyiv. Ramadan is a month of fasting prayer and giving Crimea battalion volunteers deliver food to Ukrainians in areas that were recently occupied by Russian troops.

“When I same our soldiers, I put aside my bicycle and stood like this and blessed each one of them. And they were waving at me a lot”. (An old local Christian woman's words).

The food delivery is for anyone still in the area.

“Today Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars have a real chance to show the world that Christians and Muslims are not enemies. And that we coexist, co-create and defend our country together”. (Isa Akaev).

No matter what happens with the war the road ahead for Isa Akaev will not be easy but his sights are set in one direction.

“We are going to relocate to the south because the main combat zones are in the east of Ukraine. And in the south particularly in the Kherson. It is closer to Crimea and from there we want to start our way back home”.(Isa Akaev).