Uzbek man sentenced for joining Russia’s war effort in Ukraine

A man who traveled to Russia for work and later joined Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been sentenced. QALAMPIR.UZ obtained and reviewed the court verdict. The case was heard on December 4, 2024, at the Andijan City Criminal Court.

According to the court documents, the man, born in 1985 in the Markhamat district of Andijan region, left Uzbekistan for Moscow in April 2023 to seek seasonal employment. Initially, he worked for 15 days as a butcher at the "Sarok" store. By early May 2023, he had secured a job at the "Navatek" oil exchange, where he met a Russian citizen. The Russian national proposed that he join the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, fighting alongside the Russian Armed Forces. In exchange for enlisting, the man was promised a substantial monthly salary and was required to sign a contract with the Russian military before participating in combat operations.

The man subsequently entered military service under the Russian Federation, driven by financial incentives, and took part in armed conflict and military operations in Ukraine.

On December 31, 2023, the man returned to Uzbekistan and voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement authorities.

“I returned to Moscow at the end of December 2023. I was offered the chance to remain in Russia, but I declined their proposal,” he stated during his testimony.

The Andijan City Criminal Court found him guilty of violating Part 1 of Article 154 (Recruitment) and Part 1 of Article 154-1 (Recruitment to military service, security, police, military justice bodies, or similar institutions of foreign states) of Uzbekistan's Criminal Code. As a result, he was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months of restricted liberty.

It is worth noting that in November 2023, another Uzbek citizen involved in military operations in Ukraine was sentenced to 5 years in prison.