"Kazakhstan is next. Katsap will always stab you in the back". An interview with Kazakh volunteer fighter Zhasulan "Jazz" Duisembin

Why Kazakhs support Ukraine

Over 80% of Kazakhs support Ukraine. Humanitarian aid is regularly transported, and "yurts of invincibility" are set up. Kazakhs travel to Kherson, which is heavily shelled, to treat people to delicious pilaf. Our diaspora strongly supports Ukrainians.

"Jazz" recalls that when he was still a schoolboy, older people told him how Russians derogatorily called Kazakhs "Kalbits, Churks, Mambets".

When I saw how people went to the Maidan, I was bribed by the spirit of freedom. Since then, I have wanted to get acquainted with Ukrainian culture. Your country has become an unknown world that needs to be explored. I fell in love with Ukraine. I have made many good friends and acquaintances here.

"Jazz" joined the Armed Forces in 2021 because he was sure Russia would carry out a full-scale invasion. When the training of 400,000 Russian troops near the border began, he began to warn his friends, who listened to him.

Will Russia attack Kazakhstan?

When the katsaps realise that nothing is going well for them in Ukraine, they can attack Kazakhstan. Considering the situation near Avdiivka, where they took a maximum of 5 km in six months. It is not a victory if you look at their losses.

They learn from their own mistakes. Therefore, this time, they are unlikely to make statements like before: "Kyiv in three days." Putin will calculate everything clearly, and they will want to come in quietly to show the results later.

It has one of the largest states on the planet. New Territories is more about staying in power and making your name in history. Putin invests billions a month in his army, which is fighting in Ukraine. These funds can pay off if you take over someone's resources.

I saw a video in which a grandmother in Russia picks up expired products near a store. She is asked, "How do you feel about Putin?" She answers, "It's normal. It is our leader; he is a good man. He raised Russia." They can be fed anything.

However, Turkish President Erdogan is an equally important player on the world stage. I hope he will not allow Kazakhstan to be offended.

How war changes a person

The hardest thing is getting attached to fellas like brothers, and then they die. We planned future meetings with the fellas, and each was invited to his city. Then you go to the front, fight fiercely with the enemy, and your friend dies.

I quickly became attached to good people, so I had become callous by the third year of the full-scale invasion. New people came, and I communicated with them only on business; I no longer made friends. We are already afraid to let new people into our hearts.

I rethought my life because of these terrible moments that happened to me. I no longer waste my nerves on things beyond my control and try to work on myself.

I regret many things, but I understand that they are killing me. Studying psychology, I realised I had regretted something most of my life. And now, I realise that I like everything. Without the horror I went through, I would not be myself. I was formed with the proper understanding and approach to life. Therefore, there is nothing to regret.

I thought myself immortal

Until the fragment ended in my body, it was a "wonderful world" for me. I believed that some superpowers were on my side, protecting me. There was no adrenaline and fear on the first combat sortie.

I saw many guys go down to the basement during the mortar shelling, and I was standing behind the private sector, where 100 meters from me, they were "covering". [It is so] stupid.

I thought I was immortal until the first wound. There were moments when I did not look for shelter but jumped on the katsaps, covering myself with ordinary bushes. After the first injury, the brains were added, and after the second, he became even more cautious. Unfortunately, this is how experience is gained.

Experience in war saves lives

Before going to the first task, you should listen to more experienced people. One fool was in style: "I f*ck you all, [cause] I fought a lot" That is, the Dude is as unfired as possible; he has already put himself above those who have been fighting for a long time.

Before going into battle, I tell everyone to cut off their phones. I don't take my phone with me at all. I had to shoot the phone twice when it felt like the Russians were surrounding us. I knew that I had photos of loved ones, contacts, and social networks there, so I shot the phone so as not to delete it on the go. And so, such a knucklehead came, to whom I explained that I should cut off the connection before the task.

Katsaps, when they don't know where we are sitting, roughly hide. Then they were f**king striking a lot, but there was a 100-300 meter miss all the time.

In the evening, I hear in the nearby dugout: "Kyivstar 4G". Then I think, "Lord, not this." I run out and say, "Dude, are you f**king crazy? Switch it off. They will now find our bearings. They will determine our location and, more precisely, track us. The Russians will understand that these are not civilians who went to the war zone for mushrooms." He says that he will download one movie quickly.

The same night, ATGM shelled a lot toward us. There were explosions above us, and the earth fell between the logs. We waited. Then I broke the face of that knucklehead. And what should I do? Listening to those who have spent much time on this topic is necessary.

To save the unit at the cost of his life

A True Hero is a humble man from a small town who became an officer. After experiencing unsuccessful moments in his family life, he continued his path alone.

We were finally down. Only small guns remained. Well, what will we do against tanks? He ordered the boys to retreat and took the hit himself, distracting the enemy to give them enough time to retreat.

That officer would never become like those who say, "I f*ck you all, [cause] I fought a lot." He was modest, although he had been fighting since the ATO 's time.

The most challenging combat task

Before going into battle, you must realise that you may die today. This does not mean that you will look for death but that you will be ready for it. In addition, you should have good equipment and as many mags as possible—three mags are nothing.

It seems to me that all combat tasks were difficult. But the most challenging thing was when we took out one to ten. Really.

We found ourselves without support; all we had to do was fight. Realising that we are without support is the hardest thing. Then, I saw how many people believed in God. It's like a lull, a night; I look; one is praying there, and the other is on his knees.

The spirits of my ancestors help me

I am inspired by the feeling that I am helpful in this world. I have always admired great commanders, conquerors and strategists. I do not seek greatness but want my name to go down in history well. It is an inspiration.

My strength in nature is precisely the origin of Tengrianism . That is a profound topic. Debates are still going on about whether Tengrianism belongs to a religion. It is more like a philosophy when you seek peace and believe that the spirit of the ancestors is always with you and guides you on the right path.

I like Tengrianism and its teachings, but I cannot deny that a Creator creates the beauty we see around us. In nature, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. I believe that there is a Creator, but it is not forbidden to draw strength from the spirits of nature. The souls of our ancestors can guide us.

About Ukrainian poetry and the first poem

I love Kyiv but would never live there because it's not my rhythm; there are too many people. But I enjoy being in nature and immediately want to write a poem or learn by heart.

Everything is born in moments when you don't have a thousand voices around you. Then, I can set my goals in the right direction.

I used to read Russian poetry, but now I am getting acquainted with Ukrainian. I like light rhymes because it is difficult for a concussed person to understand twists and turns. Lina Kostenko and Vasyl Symonenko's poetry flows like clockwork.

Some poems touch the strings of the soul, and one should learn them by heart. I also write poems only in the Katsap language. He wrote for the first time in 2016 when he became interested in events in Ukraine.

Russia is a cancer

I want to say to Russians, if somewhere in the depths of your soul, there is an opportunity to leave all thoughts about the greatness of the Russian state for a second and humanly imagine what it is like when you go to bed and a concrete slab falls on you and your three-month-old baby. And at that moment, when you are experiencing such horror, someone from the outside writes: "That's what they need."

I wish all Russians hell. I do not believe it is possible to somehow get along with them in the future. We have to tell our children that these scumbags will return. So, let them all burn.

I don't know what the world will do with this biomass after they lose.

I felt the spirit of freedom in Ukraine

I have been condemned many times in Kazakhstan for revealing the truth. How can I talk about my homeland like that? I say to those who can think. Take a lesson from the Ukrainians to have a national idea and respect for your culture.

Kazakhs, you are the masters of your land, and no one has the right to tell you anything. Never believe vile Russian pigs.

I understood that all pro-Russian chauvinists are poisoned. They will smile at your face, but in their hearts, they will hate you and consider you second-rate. I do not want to tolerate such an attitude. So, let you have pride in your land.

For me, Ukraine is a home for the soul. I have been to different countries, but I understand that I want to stay in Ukraine. I dream of buying an apartment in Kharkiv and living there.