Two citizens of Uzbekistan sentenced for fighting in Russian army against Ukraine

The Romitan District Criminal Court in Bukhara region heard the case of 32-year-old A.R., who was charged with participating in military operations in a foreign country, UzNews.uz reported, citing the court verdict.

According to case materials, A.R. traveled to Russia for work in 2018. He later acquired Russian citizenship without renouncing his Uzbek nationality. In May 2025, he was arrested for a criminal offense and placed in a detention facility. The following month, he signed a military service contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to take part in combat from July 17, 2024, to June 17, 2025.

A.R. actively participated in military operations in Luhansk. On July 27, 2024, he was injured in multiple areas of his body as a result of a missile strike on a military base and was hospitalized. In September, he was declared unfit for further military service. He received 3 million rubles and returned to Uzbekistan.

Upon inspection of his phone, authorities discovered documents, photos, and videos confirming his involvement in combat.

The court found A.R. guilty under Article 154, Part 1 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code (mercenarism) and sentenced him to 5 years in a general-regime prison.

Another case was tried in the Altynkul District Court of Andijan region, involving 41-year-old Sh.K., also charged with participating in military activities abroad.

Court records show that Sh.K. left for Nazran (Ingushetia) in 2023 for employment and joined the Russian military while still a citizen of Uzbekistan. From April to December 2024, he took part in combat.

During fighting, Sh.K. sustained several injuries from an exploding shell. He was granted a short-term leave but was detained during this period for lacking identification documents and subsequently deported to Uzbekistan.

After returning home, Sh.K. voluntarily informed law enforcement of his combat involvement, expressed remorse, and requested leniency.

The court found him guilty under Article 154, Part 1 (mercenarism) and sentenced him to 3 years and 1 month in a general-regime prison.