On March 16, 2014, approximately 2 million Crimean Russians voted to join Russia in an internationally unrecognized referendum
Ten years ago on March 16, 2014, the Russian Federation occupied and then annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes and relatives. Some of them joined the Ukrainian armed forces and since 2014 have been fighting against Russian forces. Among them Isa Akayev and Irina Kholosna.
Isa Akayev is 57 years old today. His real name is Nariman Bilyalov and he has Tatar roots. In Ukraine, however, he became known by his nickname. Since 2014, he has been the leader of the “Crimea” volunteer battalion of the Ukrainian armed forces, which he created together with his fellow citizens from the peninsula. Isa Akayev sees parallels between Russia’s current occupation of Crimea and the time when the Soviets were mass-deporting Crimean Tatars to Central Asia at the end of World War II.
In 1944 his parents and grandparents were expelled from Crimea and forcibly resettled in Uzbekistan. Akayev’s family lived in exile for the next 45 years. He and his sisters were born there. His parents told them that at some point they would return to their homeland. This became possible in 1990, when the Soviet Union was blowing the whistle.
Road of no return…
Akayev says that when the first Russian soldiers appeared in Crimea in the winter of 2013 without insignia and began to take control of administrative buildings and military installations, Crimeans had no idea that they were facing an annexation of the peninsula.
According to the 57-year-old, after the victory of the pro-European protest movement against the then pro-Russian leadership in Kiev, Crimeans were convinced that resistance would not allow pro-Russian forces to prevail. Shortly afterwards Isa traveled to Kiev to ask activists to support the population of the peninsula.
A little later he realized that he took a road of no return. As he reports, his wife called him and asked him not to return, as strangers were waiting for him outside the house. A few days later, Akayev’s wife and children also left Crimea.
Russia’s withdrawal by military means only
Irina Kholosna is one of the Crimean residents who remained on the peninsula in 2014 and resisted the Russian occupation forces. According to the Ukrainian, when Russian soldiers appeared in the region ten years ago without military insignia, she together with other women stood watch in barracks and weapons depots to prevent them from falling into Russian hands.
Despite resistance, Russian troops finally managed to bring the peninsula under their control in March. Even after the illegal referendum on the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation, Irina continued to publicly support Ukraine.
In September 2014 she finally left Crimea with her son and daughter. They traveled to Lviv in western Ukraine. There he joined the ranks of the Ukrainian army, which was operating against Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.
Isa Akayev and Irina Kholosna have been fighting against Russia for ten years as members of the Ukrainian army. Their goal is to contribute to the liberation of the peninsula and then return. Irina is convinced that only by military means will the Russians leave the peninsula. However, he estimates that until then a lot of time will pass.
Source :Skai
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