More and more representatives of the captive nations of Russia are fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces

The number of so-called “national units” – to a large extent made up of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation – is growing significantly in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In particular, a Bashkir unit in the Ukrainian army – the “Bashkort” company – has come to light recently. In its official creation event statement, its leadership specifically said:

“We know the history of our people and our native land. Hundreds of years ago, our people were also free, but the Russian invaders came to our land with a war. And we lost our independence. We want to help Ukraine defend its independence, return the occupied lands. We want to learn to fight. And then, together with all the oppressed peoples, return freedom to our peoples.”

Prior to that, in November, the “Turan” battalion was created as part of the Armed Forces, which unites representatives of the Turkic peoples. Side by side with volunteers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, their brothers from the still enslaved Dagestan fight in the battalion.

“Under the guise of a special operation, Putin arranges the genocide of the Turko-speaking people. Under the guise of Islam, Ramzan Kadirov declares jihad. For us, Islam is holy, and there is no need to play holy. We will destroy the devilish regime of Kadyrov and the imperial regime of Putin, we will fight,” said the commander of the “Turan” battalion, Almaz Kudabekov.

In addition, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, two volunteer Chechen battalions, a Belarusian regiment named after Kastus Kalinovsky, as well as the “Freedom of Russia” legion – a military unit formed from ethnic Russians and former servicemen of the Russian army  who went over to the side of Ukraine – have been fighting the Russian invaders as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Commenting on the creation of national military units within the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the air of a Ukrainian talk show, Oleksiy Arestovych, the adviser of the Office of the Ukrainian President, said that “Ukraine welcomes this process.”

Earlier, on October 14, in Kyiv, with the support of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a large meeting of representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia and other countries, which are oppressed by the Kremlin’s policies, took place. As a result of the meeting, the participants agreed to create a permanent platform that will coordinate the fight of Russia’s indigenous peoples for independence.

On October 18, 2022, the Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution recognizing the sovereignty of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, and its territory as temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. Also, the draft resolution on the recognition of the state sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Tatarstan was registered in the Parliament of Ukraine.