Chechens fighting for Ukraine see chance to 'free' their homeland

Members of the pro-Ukrainian Chechen battalion check an area, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Bakhmut, Ukraine November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak

BAKHMUT, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) - Speaking amid the boom of artillery on Ukraine's frontlines, the masked soldier said his ultimate goal was to liberate a land farther east - the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Maga, his nom-de-guerre, is part of a unit of Chechen fighters helping Ukraine battle Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.