He became the deputy of Anapa governor Hajji Hassan Pasha, receiving the rank of colonel. During the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829) Anapa was recaptured by the Russians and Zanuqo was taken prisoner. He remained in Odessa until the end of the war, once he was freed he returned to Circassia, taking the role of an ambassador.[6] With the emergence of multiple resources on the Circassian history, the widely spread notion of a scattered and fragmented nation is now refuted.