Russian Volunteers Joining Ukraine to Fight Russia
2023-12-19
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1In Ukraine, a man who goes by his military name Karabas is training to fight against the Russian army.
2But Karabas is not from Ukraine. He is from Russia.
3Karabas was living in Moscow when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
4He was shocked and very upset, and he decided to act.
5He decided to find a way to get to Ukraine.
6There, he hoped to join troops fighting Russian forces.
7It took him almost a year to make it happen.
8Today, he is part of the Siberian Battalion, a group of Russians who have joined the Ukrainian military to fight against their own country.
9Its members come mostly from ethnic minorities from Russia's far east.
10They hope to someday help remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power.
11Karabas told The Associated Press that he was disappointed in the Russian people.
12He said he was upset that people were supporting Putin without thinking.
13And he was upset that they did not seem to care about the war.
14"That is why I wanted to come here...and fight for a free Ukraine," he added.
15Unlike other volunteer units in Ukraine with Russian nationals, the Siberian Battalion is officially part of the Ukrainian army.
16To enter the unit, fighters must pass strict security checks.
17This process can take up to a year.
18Karabas went to Armenia first. There, he met Ukrainians and learned to speak the Ukrainian language.
19Now, he refuses to speak Russian.
20The Ukrainian army is training the Siberian Battalion and sending them to the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
21That area has seen some of the deadliest fighting of the war.
22Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to fight for control of it.
23Fighters in the battalion from eastern Siberia hope a Ukrainian victory will weaken or change Russia's control over their region.
24The area is among the poorest in Russia.
25People from the area's Yakut and Buryat ethnic communities complain of racism and unfair use of power against them in Russia.
26This has made some activists call for independence.
27Another Russian fighter, who goes by the name Holod, openly said he wants Putin's administration removed from power.
28"When this happens, we can talk about victory," he said.
29Karabas and other Russians left their entire lives behind, including families and friends.
30Some from the battalion have already been sent near Avdiivka, a Ukraine-controlled city in the Donetsk region.
31The Russian military has been fighting to take control of the area.
32The battalion was created six months ago.
33It has fewer than 100 members, but Ukrainian military leaders hope more will join.
34Based on applications they have received, they are aiming to have up to 300 members in the unit.
35Karabas said there may be tens or hundreds of thousands of other Russians like him, willing to fight with Ukraine.
36"I think we should have a lot more (Russian fighters)," he said.
37I'm Andrew Smith.
1In Ukraine, a man who goes by his military name Karabas is training to fight against the Russian army. But Karabas is not from Ukraine. He is from Russia. 2Karabas was living in Moscow when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He was shocked and very upset, and he decided to act. 3He decided to find a way to get to Ukraine. There, he hoped to join troops fighting Russian forces. 4It took him almost a year to make it happen. 5Today, he is part of the Siberian Battalion, a group of Russians who have joined the Ukrainian military to fight against their own country. Its members come mostly from ethnic minorities from Russia's far east. 6They hope to someday help remove Russian President Vladimir Putin from power. 7Karabas told The Associated Press that he was disappointed in the Russian people. He said he was upset that people were supporting Putin without thinking. And he was upset that they did not seem to care about the war. 8"That is why I wanted to come here...and fight for a free Ukraine," he added. 9Unlike other volunteer units in Ukraine with Russian nationals, the Siberian Battalion is officially part of the Ukrainian army. To enter the unit, fighters must pass strict security checks. This process can take up to a year. 10Karabas went to Armenia first. There, he met Ukrainians and learned to speak the Ukrainian language. Now, he refuses to speak Russian. 11The Ukrainian army is training the Siberian Battalion and sending them to the front lines in eastern Ukraine. That area has seen some of the deadliest fighting of the war. Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to fight for control of it. 12Fighters in the battalion from eastern Siberia hope a Ukrainian victory will weaken or change Russia's control over their region. The area is among the poorest in Russia. People from the area's Yakut and Buryat ethnic communities complain of racism and unfair use of power against them in Russia. This has made some activists call for independence. 13Another Russian fighter, who goes by the name Holod, openly said he wants Putin's administration removed from power. 14"When this happens, we can talk about victory," he said. 15Karabas and other Russians left their entire lives behind, including families and friends. 16Some from the battalion have already been sent near Avdiivka, a Ukraine-controlled city in the Donetsk region. The Russian military has been fighting to take control of the area. 17The battalion was created six months ago. It has fewer than 100 members, but Ukrainian military leaders hope more will join. Based on applications they have received, they are aiming to have up to 300 members in the unit. 18Karabas said there may be tens or hundreds of thousands of other Russians like him, willing to fight with Ukraine. 19"I think we should have a lot more (Russian fighters)," he said. 20I'm Andrew Smith. 21Vasilisa Stepanenko wrote this story for The Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English. 22________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24disappointed -adj. unhappy with a result or situation 25region -n. an area of a country 26application -n. a formal, written request to enter a program or organization or get permission to do something.