Andijan resident who fought in the war on Russia’s side sentenced

An Andijan resident who took part in the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side has been sentenced to two years of restriction of liberty. QALAMPIR.UZ reviewed the court ruling.

According to the court documents, the man traveled to Moscow, Russia, in December 2022 for employment purposes. He worked in delivery services in Moscow and Chelyabinsk. On August 15, 2023, the Chelyabinsk City Court sentenced him to eight years in prison under Part 4 of Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code for illegal drug trafficking. After that, he was offered the opportunity to participate in the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side.

In August 2024, the man enlisted in the Russian Armed Forces, signed a contract, received a military ID, and began service as a private soldier. Between August and September 2024, he took part in armed clashes and military operations aimed at capturing the city of Donetsk on behalf of the Russian Armed Forces, using an AK-74 assault rifle assigned to him. During the fighting, he sustained injuries to his left arm and left leg as a result of a shell explosion.

Following the injuries, he was treated at military hospitals of the Russian Federation and returned to Uzbekistan in September 2025.

The case was heard on December 12, 2025, by the Jalakuduk District Criminal Court. During the trial, the defendant fully admitted his guilt. He stated that in August 2024 he had been forced by the Russian side to go to war. He said he signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces and underwent 14 days of military training in Luhansk.

After completing the training, while traveling to a military base in Donetsk in three troop transport vehicles, the group came under fire from Ukrainian forces. As a result, only 12 out of 66 soldiers survived. The man sustained severe injuries from shell fragments to various parts of his body and was subsequently sent to a military hospital. He underwent treatment until September 2025 and spent the money he had received for participating in the war on restoring his health. He later obtained a certificate for return to Uzbekistan and arrived in the country on September 17.

The court found the man guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 (Mercenarism) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. However, pursuant to Article 72 of the Criminal Code (suspended sentence), the punishment was commuted to a two-year probation period with restriction of liberty (house arrest).

It is worth noting that earlier a 50-year-old Uzbek citizen who had also participated in Russia’s war in Ukraine was sentenced on October 15 this year by the Pop District Criminal Court of Namangan region to three years and one month in prison.