The Crimean Tatar Resource Center and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people organized the event “Crimean Heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian War” at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center, dedicated to the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Crimea in order to cherish the war veterans.
Eskender Bariiev, Head of the Board of the CTRC, member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, at the beginning of the event introduced the participants of the event – the heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“February 26 is the day of Crimean resistance, but the resistance did not end with a rally near the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and after the seizure of administrative buildings, the airport and Ukrainian military facilities by the Russian security services, the Crimean Tatars transferred food, cigarettes, clothes, flashlights for the Ukrainian military, created living chains around Ukrainian military facilities, offered their help to the military families, blocked roads, and when the war began in the east of Ukraine, these people could not come to terms with the occupation of Crimea and decided to protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, searches are being carried out in their dwellings in occupied Crimea, and their relatives are being intimidated”,- said Eskender Bariiev.
“We want to show that there are such people. We must appreciate the merits of these people, and know about them. We must systematize them and ensure that their rights are respected”,- Bariiev emphasized and added that it is necessary to draw the attention of the general public to solving the problems of these people, many of them need medical treatment, rehabilitation, disability and other documentation, resocialization, and unlike veterans from mainland Ukraine, Crimean veterans cannot return to their homes, as their homeland is occupied, so the state should pay special attention to this category of veterans.
Ayder Rustemov, mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea, noted that the SAMС will be engaged in the spiritual rehabilitation of soldiers. He also said that 4 Crimean Tatar soldiers lost their lives in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Enver Bekirov, director of the Khaytarma Charity Foundation, representative of the Crimean Tatar Cultural Center in Lviv, noted that this is the first attempt to systematize soldiers from Crimea, and, according to him, today there are 62 officially registered Crimean Tatar combatants, but in fact there are more of these people. He said that in the future fruitful work will be carried out in this direction. In addition, Bekirov added that the relatives of these people remain hostages in the occupied Crimea.
After that the war veterans, namely, Tymur Barotov, Ismail Memetov and Marlen Misiratov spoke.
Tymur Barotov, the People’s Hero of Ukraine, said that in 2014 he had to leave occupied Crimea. Since then his personal file remained in Sevastopol, he, like many other Crimeans, ended up in a volunteer battalion. He noted that these people shed blood for the Crimea, Ukraine, for their land and their people.
“Each of us has a story. We must live to see the day we liberate Crimea”,- Barotov emphasized.
Ismail Memetov, a 64-year-old combatant, emphasized the importance of creating a Crimean Tatar unit.
“We really want such a unit, and we want to be the first to enter Crimea”,- the veteran underlined.
Marlen Misiratov in his speech adressed the President of Ukraine with a request to remember about the Crimean Tatars, Crimea and Donbass during all the events he attends.
At the end of the event, Eskender Bariiev emphasized that “in our turn, we must do everything possible so that these people – the heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian war — feel a strong rear and our support.”
Фото: УКМЦ