Citizens of Uzbekistan attacked in Vladivostok, Russian authorities open criminal case against perpetrators

Footage circulated on social media showed the youths beating migrants, mocking and insulting them while recording the attack. The video quickly drew widespread outrage, prompting Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Vladivostok to intervene.

Uzbekistan’s Consul General, Yusup Kabulzhanov, said consular staff immediately contacted the victims, provided them with legal assistance, and ensured that a formal complaint was submitted to the Vladivostok City Police Department. Diplomatic notes were also sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s local office and the Primorsky Krai Prosecutor’s Office, urging swift action. The case has since been placed under special monitoring by both Uzbek diplomats and Russian law enforcement agencies.

The Investigative Department of Primorsky Krai later confirmed that a criminal case had been opened under Article 213, Part 2 of Russia’s Criminal Code (hooliganism). According to investigators, the suspects – reportedly 15-year-olds – were intoxicated when they damaged a parked car, sprayed an aerosol canister inside it, and then launched a series of unprovoked attacks.

The teenagers assaulted a truck driver, harassed customers in a 24-hour shop on Khabarovskaya Street, and later attacked a taxi driver and his passenger. They also assaulted another passerby while shouting loudly in the street and using stones and other objects as weapons, investigators said.

One suspect has been detained while two others remain wanted. Authorities continue to identify all circumstances of the case.

The Uzbek Consulate has pledged to keep the case under close watch to ensure justice for its citizens.