On June 26, a court in the Zomin district of Jizzakh region heard the case of M.M., a 24-year-old Uzbek citizen accused of participating in the armed conflict in Ukraine on the side of Russia.

According to court documents, M.M. had been working seasonally in Russia's Primorsky Krai since 2019. In early 2025, he and an acquaintance were detained by Russian law enforcement on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking.

To avoid criminal prosecution, they signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and agreed to fight in Ukraine. M.M. underwent training at a military camp near Mariupol, learning to use firearms and grenades, dig trenches, and provide first aid.

From September to mid-November 2025, he served in the Zaporizhzhia region, digging trenches and bunkers, delivering supplies, transporting drone charging equipment, and conducting reconnaissance. On November 10, he was wounded in a drone attack, resulting in the amputation of four fingers on his right hand.

In court, M.M. pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, claiming he was pressured into signing the contract. His father had appealed to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help, but received no further information.

The court found M.M. guilty under Article 154, Part 1 (Mercenarism) of the Uzbek Criminal Code and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in a general-regime penal colony. The sentence runs from June 26, 2026.

Source: www.gazeta.uz