Citizen of Kyrgyzstan, Almaz Kudabek uulu, announced creation of a Turkic-speaking battalion Turan, which is fighting as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in November 2022. He himself became the commander of the new military formation. The Kyrgyzstani has been fighting since February 24.
Russian political technologists immediately declared that this was a project of Ukrainian strategists. This is categorically denied in the battalion, which was voluntarily joined by representatives of various Turkic-speaking countries.
The commander of Turan faces a prison term in his homeland for participation in the combat operations. The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan initiated a criminal case against him under the article «Participation of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic in armed conflicts or hostilities on the territory of a foreign state or undergoing training to commit a terrorist act» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the security services, Almaz Kudabek uulu left for Ukraine in December 2021 as a labor migrant.
24.kg news agency tried to contact him, but he does not disclose his location and does not get in touch. Ukrainian colleagues gave him our questions, and Almaz Kudabek uulu finally agreed to answer them in writing.
— You said in one of the interviews that you remember your first fear during the battles for Hostomel at the beginning of the war, when shelling lasted five hours in a row, and you thought that you would die, mentally said goodbye to your relatives. Has this fear become habitual or do you no longer feel it?
— The fear of dying is quite natural for any person, but a long stay on the front line turns many things into a routine. At the same time, the safety rules for each batyr from the Turan battalion are in the first place, we try to train the newly arrived volunteers according to this principle.
I should add that only Bakhmut was scarier than Hostomel, where it was almost impossible to hide from the enemy’s artillery.
Almaz Kudabek uulu
Cluster and incendiary munitions used by the enemy often cause panic and a desire to run far away. One can only resist by believing in one’s own and common ideals.
— You have also said earlier that at Hostomel «everyone on the other side, including your compatriots, became enemies who must be destroyed» in your eyes. In other interviews you stated that you love your country and your people very much....
— ... Kyrgyzstan is my homeland, I will always love it. But Ukraine is my home now, I am fighting for Ukraine. The only relief is that many Kyrgyz express support, I am fighting shoulder to shoulder with many compatriots.
— The battalion has existed for more than half a year. What has drastically changed during this time?
— There are no changes, we work more than before. Many volunteers come from Turkic-speaking countries, who know firsthand about the oppression of Muslims and Turks in the Russian Federation. Many people write from there, wanting to join us, asking how to help.
There are enough volunteers, we thoroughly check everyone to exclude the possibility of penetration of enemy agents into the battalion. There have been such cases. At the very moment when we found out about it, they were handed over to the officers of the Security Service. I do not know their further fate.
We are actively looking for supporters in the Russian Federation itself in order to undermine the regime from within. According to our data, up to 6 million Turkic-speaking citizens live there now. Priority is given first of all to ideological youth with combat or at least army experience.
Everything in Turan is done voluntary, we are not on the staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Almaz Kudabek uulu
We are funded by donations and assistance from other units. For example, brothers from Azov help us with weapons and consultations. Money, uniforms, transport and other things come from England and Germany, as well as from countries where Turks predominantly live: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan.... There is everything we need.
— Bakhmut was the most difficult.
— You regularly communicate with the captives. Do you understand how they get to the war?
— Due to the intensity of hostilities, we currently do not work much with captives, as a rule, we hand them over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine almost immediately.
Of those Russian captives with whom I had a chance to talk, there were many mobilized who did not understand why they were here and for what purpose.
Almaz Kudabek uulu
There are also those who came over to our side, remained in the battalion, but all came to us almost at the very beginning or were transferred from other units. I will not name them, of course, but among them there are Astrakhan Kazakhs and Kyrgyz who were recruited for the war by deceit.
— The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan opened a criminal case against you. It turns out that you cannot return home. It is also known that the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Ukraine had previously established contact with you, offered to return to your homeland, but you refused. Have they contacted you again since then with similar proposals or, on the contrary, with warnings or threats?
— They harass my friends and family, I had to take my family out of the country. I won’t tell you how it happened, I had to contrive. I receive threats every day, but I also receive words of support. The latter are much more numerous. That’s why I firmly believe in my ideals.
— How is your family now? Have they asked you to refuse to participate in the war?
— Relatives treat everything with understanding and support me. They worry, of course, but that’s normal. We will be fine.
— Were there moments when you were very disappointed at the front and what do you want most of all right now?
— Dreams of a bright future help to brighten up gray front everyday life. When we finally kick out all the invaders, liberate the oppressed brothers and sisters in the Russian Federation itself. The plans are ambitious; we have no time to relax.
