On February 6, the Bustan District Criminal Court of Andijan province sentenced a 24-year-old man who was recruited by the Russian army in its invasion of Ukraine.

According to the case file, defendant O. Kh. signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces in April 2025. He underwent combat and weapons training at a military training ground in Varozhnik village, after which he had been involved in armed clashes in Luhansk in May.

During the fighting, he sustained wounds to his right thigh and both shins. On July 25, 2025, he returned to Uzbekistan.

In court, O. Kh. stated that he went to Russia in January 2025 to get a job. He claimed to have worked in a workshop at Vnukovo International Airport, but when he attempted to complete his paperwork, he was informed of his deportation.

"I needed money, so I continued working at my previous job. Then I heard that a friend had a job at Domodedovo. On my way to see him in Istra, I was stopped by Russian officers and then taken to the police station after failing to show an ID. There, they forced me to sign some document. After staying there for three days, they sent me to the Varozhnik village," the defendant said.

There, he was handed a military uniform, a phone, and bank cards, after which he underwent training and was sent to Luhansk.

"First, we traveled in a military truck, then walked about 8 km. We waited out the night at one point. The next day, May 8, 2025, we were hit by a drone strike. My comrades were killed, but I managed to escape. However, the drone's explosion injured my leg," he said.

After receiving medical treatment in Luhansk, he returned to Moscow, bought a plane ticket, and flew to Uzbekistan via Vnukovo Airport.

The man fully pleaded guilty, expressed regret for his actions, and requested a non-custodial sentence.

The court found the defendant guilty under Becoming mercenary charge. Under Article 57 of the Criminal Code (imposition of a more lenient sentence), he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in a general penal colony.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General's Office called on Uzbeks abroad not to join the armed forces abroad or participate in hostilities, and warned of criminal liability for doing so.

In the summer, the Ukrainian project "I Want to Live" reported in 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense recruited 902 Uzbek nationals to participate in combat operations in Ukraine. Furthermore, the project reported that mercenaries from 33 countries were being held captive in Ukraine, the majority from Uzbekistan.