"This war is not just about Russia and Ukraine, it is a war between democracy and dictatorship. And I have picked my side," explains Mark, a serviceman from the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment. Just like him, a number of Belarusian volunteers have taken up arms to fight within the Armed Forces of Ukraine, against the Russian invasion. The regiment was formed in March 2022, a month into Russia´s invasion, mainly from volunteers that previously fought in Ukraine since 2014 in a tactical unit "Belarus." Kastus Kalinouski Regiment now has just under 1500 members. Motivated by their will to return to an independant Belarus, now Russia's main ally, they see Ukraine's war as a first step, "only half of our journey." "Returning home is my main goal," states Salam, another engaged serviceman originally from Belarus. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES