As part of the Congress of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, the second panel discussion, titled “Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks — Defending Ukraine,” took place.

Participants in the discussion included:

• Bohdan Okhrimenko, Head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War;
• Andrii Olieinykov (Kefeli), member of the public organization “Union of Karaites of Ukraine” and service member;
• Alim Kerimov, Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 34th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade;
• Petro Koshukov, an activist of the Krymchak community in Ukraine and a service member.

The discussion was moderated by journalist and TV host Hanna Homonai.

At the beginning of the session, a ceremonial awarding took place: service members and volunteers — Crimean Tatars Usein Bekirov, Edem Basnaiev, Emine Emersaliieva, and Snamer Seithaliliev — received the President of Ukraine’s Award “For the Defense of Ukraine.” After the ceremony, participants were shown a teaser for the film “Crimean Askeri,” which tells the story of Crimean Tatar involvement in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

During the discussion, Bohdan Okhrimenko spoke about Russia’s recruitment of Ukrainian citizens from temporarily occupied territories, as well as foreigners, for participation in the war against Ukraine. He noted, in particular, that Ukrainians make up about 16% of the Russian army, while 34% are foreigners. He added that Russia also recruits residents of remote Russian republics, using this as a means to destroy small Indigenous peoples.

“The percentage of residents of Moscow and Leningrad regions is the lowest. Through this war, Putin is destroying small nations with potential for self-determination, independence, and struggle for their sovereignty — this has been a standard Russian practice since the times of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union,” Bohdan Okhrimenko said.

In his remarks, Alim Kerimov stated that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is also his personal war, noting that Karaites, Crimean Tatars, and Krymchaks have actively served in Ukraine’s Defense Forces since the very beginning, since the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

“Every service member, regardless of their faith or origin, is focused on ensuring that de-occupation takes place. This is a challenge and a personal war for me. Until I defeat it — until I drive Russians out of the occupied territory — I will not stop serving,” Kerimov stressed.

A video address by Petro Koshukov was also shown during the session:

“The defense of Ukraine and the restoration of its territorial integrity is a chance for every Krymchak, Karaite, and Crimean Tatar to return to their homeland. It is the path toward living in our communities, preserving and developing our culture, language, and traditions, and passing them on to our children in safety and freedom. It is a chance to once again live with dignity and freedom on our land.”

The final speaker, Andrii Olieinykov (Kefeli), emphasized the importance of bringing to justice all those responsible for crimes committed on the peninsula, including those who violated international and Ukrainian law from the very beginning of the occupation in 2014. He added that Ukraine must also address its own past mistakes to prevent future aggression.