20-year-old Uzbek citizen sentenced for participating in War against Ukraine

A 20-year-old Uzbek citizen has been sentenced to four years of restricted liberty for taking part in military operations against Ukraine as a member of Russian armed forces. QALAMPIR.UZ reviewed the court verdict in the case.

According to court documents, the defendant, identified as I.J., flew from Tashkent to St. Petersburg on February 23, 2024, reportedly for seasonal work. However, on June 12, he signed a one-year contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, agreeing to serve in exchange for a monthly salary of 195,000 rubles. He subsequently joined Russian military operations in Ukraine.

On June 24, I.J. was deployed to the training grounds of military unit No. 31985 in the Luhansk region, where he underwent 14 days of training and remained stationed for two weeks. During this period, he sustained an injury to his right leg caused by a drone explosion.

He was later transferred to a military hospital in Belgorod, where he received treatment for 13 days. After being denied a 15-day leave for further recovery, I.J. fled the military unit on September 5 and returned to Uzbekistan via a Moscow–Samarkand flight on October 1. Upon his return, he voluntarily surrendered to the State Security Service.

On April 28, 2025, the Karshi City Criminal Court found I.J. guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code (recruitment to participate in armed conflict abroad) and sentenced him to four years of restricted liberty.

For reference, the “Khochu Zhit” (“I Want to Live”) project, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and Main Intelligence Directorate, previously published a list of 1,110 Uzbek nationals who had signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces to take part in the war against Ukraine.