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| Mamuka Mamulashvili while online on Euronews Albania |
Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Legion of Foreign Volunteers in Ukraine, says that so far there are only two Albanians who have gone to Ukraine to fight against Russia.
Mamulashvili during an interview for Euronews Albania said that they are waiting for the arrival of about 30 other Albanians to join the war in Ukraine who have applied to join the fighting through contacts from social networks.
"There are two Albanian volunteers who are fighting with us. They have come here to help Ukrainians defend their country. They came after the start of the conflict. There are applications from Albania but they have not arrived yet. There are almost 20-30 applications", he declared.
The commander of the Legion of Foreign Volunteers says that none of the volunteers are paid but have gone there for the ideal of democracy and to protect Ukraine from the Russian genocide.
"As Albanians had their genocide, the same thing is happening here. "The Russians are deliberately killing women and children on a large scale," he said.
The fighter says that so far there have been no casualties in their group despite the fact that their positions have been bombed almost 30 times by Russian forces with helicopters.
Mamulashvili says Russia is using ballistic missiles in Ukraine to deliberately bomb residential areas.
He points out that since he was 14 he was captured by Russian forces during the occupation of Georgia in 2008 and held in several prisons in Russia. Has been fighting in Ukraine for 8 years since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
FULL INTERVIEW:
I want to know on what front are you fighting at the moment and how are you managing the situation?
Unfortunately, I can not say because it is a large-scale war throughout Ukraine.
You are the commander of foreign international volunteers in the fight against Russia in Ukraine, can you tell me how many groups of volunteers have joined the Ukrainian forces in this confrontation with Russia.
There are many volunteers from many different countries, those who have united before, are people who love freedom who have democratic ideals, who have joined this front. We are all trying to protect Ukraine. We also have volunteers from Albania.
How many volunteers are there from Albania?
There are currently two.
These are Albanians who live in Ukraine or are there Albanians who left Albania after the start of the conflict?
No, they have come here to help the Ukrainians to help their country.
Yes, they came right after the start of the conflict.
What's the way volunteers join the group you command in some way. How is the volunteer group organized by different countries?
Everyone is volunteering even now that we are talking, everyone can come from any direction.
They are not paid, are just volunteers despite the fact that from time to time reservists and other soldiers are required, are not paid?
None here is paid, are all volunteers and each of them represents his country in Ukraine.
This is exactly the confrontation that their countries according to their ideals for democracy, even from Albania that is coming and is facing Russian aggression in all possible ways.
Just as Albanians faced their genocide, so is it here. The Russians are deliberately killing women and children on a large scale.
Did you have losses, how does these 8 days of fighting were like?
Nothing, none.
We were the first to be bombed by Russian helicopters in the Kiev region and have bombed our positions almost 30 times.
Have you captured Russian prisoners of war and what is being done to them?
There are some special groups that work with prisoners of war and deal with their treatment.
Were prohibited weapons of mass destruction used during these eight days of fighting on what you have seen on the fronts where you fought?
They are using ballistic weapons, for all the potential they have in the Russian arsenal they are deliberately sanctifying the housing blocks of civilians and populated areas.
What nationality are the volunteers you are training and leading in these offensives?
Here we are all professionals who are from Georgia as well as from other countries. All of them have had military experience, coming from all their armies. From their preparations.
How do these volunteers come about, is there a way that can be made public even for those who want to join this war?
We have volunteered through social media contacts and most of them contact us via social media from there we give instructions that they can join us.
Is Emanuel Bazanji one of the Albanians who is fighting with you with the volunteers?
Yes, he is one of our soldiers.
How is his health, has there been an attack on him?
No, we have not had any case and I do not believe we will have
Is Emanuel on your side?
He is a member of a group that acts autonomously always in command with me.
What is their goal these days?
We will defeat Russia. We will not give up an inch of the territory we are defending.
Can you achieve this?
They have lost the ground battle and can not move an inch of the positions they have taken.
Can Ukraine win this war?
Yes 100%, we will win. Yes, and we will show everyone that Ukraine is in its best shape and can fight against a superpower like Putin.
How did you yourself join this war?
I have been caught in prison by the Russians since I was 14 years old. I've been to Georgia since '93 and then I've been to prisons in Russia.
Is it the first time you are fighting in Ukraine or is the above story related exactly to the resistance you may have made in different periods in different regions?
I'm fighting Russia everywhere I can. Today in Ukraine we are defending the freedom of Ukrainians. I am here for 8 years and we have been fighting the Russians for so long. It has been declared war and so far nothing has changed.
Do you have other volunteers waiting to join your group in this war?
There are many volunteers trying to come to Ukraine and cross the border.
From Georgia alone, we will have 140 people tomorrow alone,
But there are people from Albania who have left, are there any requests?
There are applications but they have not come yet.
Can you tell me the exact number of applications?
I would say not as much as from Georgia but almost 20-30 people.
What is the moral of the fighters and how do you try to keep them in good morale to succeed?
People who come up with their own ideology to defend freedom, know what to expect, know what repression means, and do not need extra motivation.