Bukhara man sentenced to 3.5 years for joining Russian forces in Ukraine war

A court reviewed the case against citizen Sh.I., who was charged with mercenarism.

According to case materials, Sh.I. had been working in Russia since 2014. In 2023, he obtained Russian citizenship and later received a military ID. In May 2025, he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and underwent military training, after which he was sent to the combat zone in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In June 2025, the man was wounded as a result of a missile strike and received treatment at military hospitals. In October, he returned to Uzbekistan, where a check of his mobile phone revealed photographs of him in military uniform, as well as official documents confirming his participation in combat operations.

During the trial, Sh.I. fully admitted his guilt and stated that he had signed the contract under pressure, fearing criminal prosecution in Russia for assaulting a Russian citizen.

A forensic medical examination confirmed the presence of bodily injuries sustained in the combat zone.

Under the court’s verdict, he was found guilty under Article 154 (mercenarism) and Article 154-1 (entering service, recruitment into military service, security, police, military justice bodies, or other similar bodies of foreign states) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to three years and six months of imprisonment to be served in a general-regime penal colony.