On April 15, a criminal court in the Yakkabog district of the Kashkadarya region sentenced 38-year-old citizen B.A. for participating in the Russia-Ukraine war on the Russian side. According to court documents, he initially went to Russia in 2020 for work and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2021 for drug trafficking.

While serving his sentence, B.A. allegedly faced constant pressure and coercion from prison staff. In August 2025, he signed a one-year military contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, reportedly promised a one-time payment of 1.2 million rubles and a monthly salary of 210,000 rubles. After a month of training in the Luhansk region, he took part in combat operations against Ukraine.

In October 2025, B.A. was severely wounded by a drone attack, suffering shrapnel injuries and fractures. He was evacuated to hospitals in Belgorod and Moscow. In December 2025, he escaped from the hospital and sought help from the Uzbek embassy in Moscow, which issued him a return certificate. He returned to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan on December 24 and voluntarily surrendered to the State Security Service on January 9, 2026.

In court, B.A. partially admitted guilt, stating he was forced into the war, has three minor children, and expressed deep remorse. The court found him guilty under Article 154 (Mercenarism) Part 1 of the Criminal Code, but applied Article 57 (Imposition of a Lighter Sentence) and sentenced him to three years in a general-regime colony. He was taken into custody immediately.

Source: www.gazeta.uz