In Ferghana, an Uzbek Citizen Sentenced for Mercenary Activities in the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Ferghana, the District Criminal Court sentenced 28-year-old Uzbek citizen A.A., who was found guilty of mercenary activities.

According to the case materials, the man was in Russia, where he voluntarily joined the Russian Armed Forces by signing a military service contract and participated in combat operations in Ukraine for personal gain.

In February 2025, he was detained by Russian law enforcement authorities for violating migration regulations.

During the processing of his documents, he was offered the opportunity to join the Russian Armed Forces, which he accepted, fearing deportation. On February 11, he signed the contract and was sent to a military unit in the Voronezh region, where he underwent combat training, received a military ID, and was issued an AK-12 rifle.

In March 2025, A.A. was deployed to Ukraine, where he took part in combat operations. During the mission, he sustained a shrapnel injury to his right hand from the explosion of a cluster munition and was treated in a military hospital.

After recovering, he continued to perform tasks related to supplying Russian servicemen with food in the combat zone.

In July 2025, the defendant returned to Uzbekistan on leave and was subsequently summoned to the police department, where he gave a confession.

The court found A.A. guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (“Mercenary Activity”) and sentenced him to three years in a general-regime penal colony.