Said Ismagilov is Muslim officer in the Ukrainian army. He told Rudaw that since the age of 15, the only solace for his soul and mind has been reading the Quran.
Ismagilov was born into a Tatar family in the Donetsk region. He was previously a mufti.
At the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, he first started volunteering and later joined the armed forces at the frontlines. For a short break, he has returned to Kyiv and every evening breaks his fast at this mosque.
"I was a mufti for 13 years, so of course I fast every year. This is the fourth Ramadan that we are spending in war and fasting. We break our fast at the mosque, pray, and then we have Tarawih prayers. Muslims gather here. When I'm at the frontline, it becomes difficult to pray during the day because you're in the midst of war duties. But I still fast," he said.
Approximately 20,000 Muslims serve in the Ukrainian forces. Most of them are at the frontlines of the war, and some pray and break their fast at the mosque during their breaks.
In Kyiv, there are seven Islamic centers, and people of all ages participate together in religious events.
Most Muslims in Ukraine hail from Crimea, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and some Arab countries, and they live in Kyiv province.
Before the start of the war, about 1.5 million Muslims lived in Ukraine, but during the three years of war, most of them have left Ukraine.
