On April 28, the Fergana District Criminal Court in Uzbekistan heard the case of 25-year-old Y.M., charged with mercenary activity for fighting on Russia's side in the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to court documents, Y.M. traveled to Moscow in 2023 for work. There, he was convicted for drug trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison, serving time in a colony in Saratov region.

While incarcerated, he was offered 210,000 rubles per month to join the Russian Armed Forces and fight against Ukraine. Initially refusing, he eventually agreed due to harsh prison conditions and a desire for release.

On August 21, 2025, he signed a one-year military contract, completed two weeks of training at a range in Donetsk, where he lost consciousness and was hospitalized for four months.

In January 2026, he escaped from the hospital, obtained a return certificate from the Uzbek consulate, and flew back to Tashkent on January 27.

In court, Y.M. fully confessed and expressed remorse. His parents requested leniency citing his poor health and young age.

The court found him guilty under Article 154, Part 1 (Mercenary activity) of Uzbekistan's Criminal Code, and applied Article 57 to impose a lighter sentence: 3 years of correctional labor with 20% of his salary deducted to the state.

Source: www.gazeta.uz