He lived in Romania from 1872 and volunteered in the Serbian-Ottoman War in 1876. On May 1, 1877 he joined Bulgarian Volunteer Corps in the Russian army and fought at the Battle of Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). After the war Atanasov returned to Macedonia where he supported the legal and illegal struggle of local Bulgarians to alleviate their situation. Tanasov gave support to the efforts of the Bulgarian Exarchate to collect appeals from oppressed Christian communities concerning their plight. The combined bands of Angel Voyvoda and Iliya Deliya killed the Ottoman tyrant Smail Aga and his son Zekir.