In the Khatirchi district of Navoi region, a 25-year-old young man was sentenced by the court to 4 years of restricted freedom for participating in the armed conflict in Ukraine as part of the Russian army.
According to court documents, this young man, born in 2000 and not previously convicted, traveled to Russia in October 2023 in search of work. A year later, in December 2024, he was recruited by Russia and involved in frontline clashes.
According to the young man, he was first detained in Moscow by the police under the pretext of document checks. Later, he was falsely accused, placed in custody, and interrogated through a translator. At the trial, he stated that, since he did not know Russian, he was subjected to psychological and physical pressure by investigators. He was forced to sign a contract to participate in the war, and when he refused, he was subjected to various tortures.
After being held in custody for 8 months, a Russian court sentenced him to imprisonment, and he began serving his sentence in a colony. There, the pressure did not stop, and in December 2024 he was forced to sign a contract with the Russian army. On April 1, 2025, he was taken to a military unit in handcuffs and with a bag over his head.
During his short time on the front, the young man was seriously injured in a shell explosion in Donetsk city and was treated in St. Petersburg. After his recovery, he applied to the Uzbekistan embassy in Moscow, claiming he had lost his passport, and a return certificate was issued for him.
However, upon returning to his homeland, law enforcement authorities discovered that he had participated in the armed conflict in Ukraine. On this basis, a criminal case was opened against him and brought to court.
The Navoi region court found him guilty under Article 154, Part 1 of the Criminal Code (mercenarism) and sentenced him to 4 years of restricted freedom.
Officials noted that this is not the first such case. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, hundreds of citizens of Uzbekistan have signed contracts with the Russian army and gone to the front. Some sources note that, as in many other areas, Uzbeks are among the first in recruitment. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, also confirmed that many Uzbeks are fighting on Russia’s side.
This incident once again serves as a serious warning for citizens abroad.
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