Crimean Tatars believe that only a Ukrainian victory and regaining control of the peninsula can save them from a complete destruction of their national identity by Russia.
This is stated by Isa Akaev, leader of the “Crimea” battalion, who sees no “war fatigue” among his soldiers and emphasizes the need to defeat Russian imperialism once and for all.
“Russia is doing everything possible so that the Crimean Tatars stop identifying themselves as a separate nation, as it already did with many peoples in their own territory. I am categorically against this,” Akaev tells Efe during a telephone interview. .
Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion his unit has been operating under the direction of Ukraine’s military intelligence service led by General Kirilo Budanov. Akaev cannot reveal the details but says that Crimean Tatars form the backbone of the battalion.
This 58-year-old Crimean Tatar took up arms in 2014, after Russia illegally annexed the peninsula, and founded a volunteer battalion that took part in the fighting in Donbas.
Akaev believed that the Crimean Tatars had to help the Ukrainians defeat the Russian incursion there before moving on to liberate Crimea.
“Every Ukrainian for whom freedom and honor are not empty words must defend our families, our children, our wives from Russia,” he explains.
For the Crimean Tatars, a Muslim Turkish minority, this is also an opportunity to “take revenge” for what their grandparents and parents suffered, for “the humiliation and for all those innocent babies, women, children and old people who died because of deportation”.
All Crimean Tatars were deported in 1944 from Crimea to Central Asia and were only able to return with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Historians estimate that between 18 and 46% of them died then and that their culture was on the brink of extinction.
Although Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south has so far failed to achieve the desired results, largely due to a lack of aviation and other key weapons, its operations in Crimea and attacks on Russian military targets there have intensified. Akaev believes that the liberation of the peninsula is progressing “little by little.”
“We have no war fatigue here,” Akaev stresses, noting that the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians “have no choice but to finish the job” by breaking the cycle of failed liberation attempts, which were always followed by brutal repressions by From Russia.
“All our loved ones who remain in Crimea say they believe in us and hope for liberation,” Akaev shares. According to him, any negotiations with Russia now would be “a betrayal” of them and all those who have died in the fighting.
“Our culture was formed in Crimea. To save and develop it we need to return home,” he says.
Thousands of Crimean Tatars have had to flee their peninsula since 2014. Akaev’s family has been moved abroad for safety, and his 13 children are far from him.
“This is another reason to grit my teeth and keep fighting. The Russians deprived me of the chance to be with my children,” Akaev shares. He wants them to be able to build their lives safely in their home country.
Akaev’s battalion has participated in several key battles, including those near kyiv and Bakhmut. The liberation of Kherson a year ago brought with it some of the most memorable moments, which continue to drive him and his brothers in arms.
“It was incredible how people greeted us, hugged us and gave us flowers. I only saw something like that in films about World War II,” Akaev recalls.
“So I told my guys: look, Kherson spent 6 months under Russian occupation. Imagine how they will receive us in Crimea after 9 years!”