Kyrgyzstan investigates Ukraine's “Turan” battalion chief VIDEO

Kyrgyzstan has launched an investigation against a Kyrgyz citizen identified as Almaz Kudabek uuly, who allegedly set up a battalion of Turkic peoples called "Turan" to fight on the side of Ukraine.

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security said in a statement that "this citizen's claims run counter to the position of Kyrgyzstan's official authorities," the Kaktus Media website reported on November 22.

"Kyrgyzstan adheres to neutrality in the events between Russia and Ukraine," the security committee said, adding that Almaz Kudabek uulu left Kyrgyzstan for Ukraine as a migrant worker in December 2021.

The statement said that an investigation had been launched against him under Article 256 of the Criminal Code, which criminalises the participation of Kyrgyz citizens in armed conflicts in foreign states or their undergoing training to carry out terrorist attacks. An offence committed under this article is punishable by up to eight years in prison.

It was said in the first video message from the battalion commander, that its fighters are ready to destroy the “regimes of the Kremlin dictator, Vladimir Putin, and the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov". 

“There are also citizens of Azerbaijan in the video,” Clash Report tweeted in English. In the video, Kudabek spoke in Russian against the background of about 20 armed men in military uniforms, some masked.

Turan Battalion has been established as part of the Ukrainian Army.

The first video message from the battalion commander Almaz Kudabek from Kyrgyzstan.

There are also citizens of Azerbaijan in the video. pic.twitter.com/AqDxomYYXe

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 20, 2022

On 24 February, Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine. From the first few days of the hostilities, the Russian army conducted attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has created the International Legion of Ukraine, consisting of foreign citizens wishing to join the resistance against Russians and fight for global security.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that by 6 March 2022 more than 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries had enlisted to fight for Ukraine; several thousand more reportedly joined after the announcement.