Ukrainian Blogger Interviews Kazakhs Captured While Fighting for Russia

The interview followed the release of a list of Kazakhstan's citizens allegedly fighting for Russia, Orda.kz reports.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian blogger Vladimir Zolkin has been publishing interviews with captured soldiers who fought on the Russian side.

His latest video focuses on three ethnic Kazakhs — two who claim to hold Kazakhstan citizenship and a third who is identified as a Russian citizen from the Orenburg region.

The names of the prisoners are not disclosed in the video. One is 23 years old and previously served in the National Guard. The second is 19 and a resident of Baikonur; he did not serve in Kazakhstan’s army.

They sent me a summons when I was already in Russia, said the native of Baikonur.

According to one, he was promised Russian citizenship and a reserve role in a unit based in the Rostov region.

Instead, he was sent to Ukraine’s Luhansk region without receiving a Russian passport. He was captured after two days on the front line when his unit was targeted by drones.

My perception of war was different. Like in the movies. That everything would be awesome, that no one would touch us, and we would have protection, and good weapons, and equipment, he admitted in an interview.

Another said he trained in the Donetsk region and was captured during fighting in the city of Toretsk, which Ukrainian forces have defended since June 2024.

The older one was allowed to speak with his mother during the interview. He expressed hope of being included in a prisoner exchange. Later, he asked the blogger what punishment he might face in Kazakhstan under charges of “mercenary activity.”

The interview was published shortly after Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project released a list of Kazakhstani nationals allegedly fighting on Russia’s side. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it would verify the information.

Last week, Orda.kz released an investigation into how Kazakhstani citizens are being recruited into the Russian army via ads on the VKontakte platform.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin