️ On June 9, the criminal court of Kokdala district in Uzbekistan's Kashkadarya region heard the case of 26-year-old citizen M.R., who fought on Russia's side in the Russia-Ukraine war. According to court documents, M.R. went to Russia in 2019 for seasonal work, where he got into a fight with a Kyrgyz citizen, causing severe injuries that led to the victim's death. He was convicted under Part 4 of Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code (intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm resulting in death) and sentenced to 9 years in prison.
️ While serving his sentence in a penal colony in the Udmurt Republic, M.R. signed a military service contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and joined the Russian Armed Forces. According to the investigation, in late November 2025, he underwent combat training at a Russian military unit in the Luhansk region, including training in the use of weapons and explosives.
️ Court documents state that during training, he intentionally threw a grenade at close range, injuring himself. He was treated at a military hospital in Luhansk and escaped in January 2026. Later, he obtained a certificate for return to his homeland from the Uzbek embassy in Moscow and returned to Uzbekistan on February 11, 2026, via the Moscow-Tashkent flight.
️ In court, M.R. partially admitted his guilt. He claimed that in September 2022, two Kyrgyz citizens threatened him with a knife and demanded money. During the fight, one of them died from injuries. The court found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm resulting in death and sentenced him to 9 years in prison with a fine of 1.75 million rubles.
️ M.R. stated that in September 2024, he was transferred to a colony in Izhevsk, where inmates were offered to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry to participate in the war against Ukraine. 'When I refused, they beat me and broke my jaw,' he said. Military officials allegedly held several private talks with him, promising good conditions, monetary rewards, and monthly salaries. They threatened to add another 13 years for using a phone and to make him serve in a strict-regime colony if he did not comply.
️ According to M.R., on November 13, 2025, he was taken from the colony and forced to sign documents he did not understand due to poor Russian language skills. He was then taken to a military training ground in the Luhansk region. To avoid being sent to the front, he deliberately threw a grenade close to himself, causing injury. After treatment in a military hospital, he escaped, lived for a while in the Donetsk region, then with the help of acquaintances reached Moscow and returned to Uzbekistan.
️ Upon returning, he realized the criminal nature of his actions and voluntarily submitted a remorse statement to the State Security Service on March 24. The court found M.R. guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 (Mercenarism) and Part 1 of Article 154-1 (Entering the military service of a foreign state) of the Uzbek Criminal Code. Mitigating circumstances included partial admission of guilt, sincere remorse, age, and family and financial situation. No aggravating circumstances were found. Under Article 154, applying Article 57 (imposition of a lighter sentence), he was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months of restricted freedom; under Article 154-1, to 1 year of correctional labor with 20% of earnings deducted to the state. By partial addition, the final sentence was 4 years and 6 months of restricted freedom.
️ According to the verdict, he will serve the sentence at his place of residence in the Yakkabag district of Kashkadarya region. He is prohibited from leaving his home except for work or study, changing his residence, or leaving Kashkadarya region without permission from the probation authority. Supervision is assigned to the probation group of the Yakkabag district police.
Source: www.gazeta.uz