Amid Tensions, Eastern Ukrainian Muslims Hope for Peace

Kostiantunivka, MINA – Muslim community in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka hopes for “peace and goodness” amid rising tensions in the region.

Although the industrial city in the Donbas region fell to pro-Russian separatists temporarily in 2014, the Ukrainian army managed to regain control.

Vitaly Koritsky, a Ukrainian man who was born and raised in the city of Slovyansk in the northern Donetsk region, told Anadolu Agency that he met his future wife who is from Turkey in the same city.

The two later converted to Islam in the city of Donetsk and moved to live in Kostiantynivka.

Koritsky, 31, said the situation had “worsened” in 2014, when pro-Russian separatists invaded eastern Ukraine.

At that time, he explained, no townspeople fled to other places because “there was nowhere else to go.”

He emphasized that the Muslim community in the area had faced threats during the conflict.

“We are used to all these things over the years, we have seen wars and gunfire. Of course, we want peace and goodness, as before, when there were no problems for us and people could live better,” he said. Koritsky.

“God willing, hopefully everything will be fine and there will be no fighting,” he added.

Russia recently amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine’s eastern border and sparked fears the Kremlin could be planning a military attack on Ukraine.

Moscow has denied it is preparing to strike and says its troops are at the border for exercises.

Russia has also issued a list of security demands, including for Ukraine not to join NATO. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)