Uzbek National Sentenced to Four Years for Mercenary Activity in Ukraine

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Pastdargom District Criminal Court has sentenced 27-year-old Uzbek citizen A. J. for participating in the armed conflict in Ukraine on the side of Russian forces.

According to court documents, in 2019 the young man went to Russia for work, where a year later he was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbery and sent to serve his term in a correctional facility in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

While in prison, A. J. was recruited by representatives of the private military company Wagner, who offered him early release, housing, one million rubles, and Russian citizenship in exchange for participation in combat operations in Ukraine.

After signing the contract, he underwent military training in Rostov and Luhansk regions and, from October 2022 until the end of 2024, took part in fighting on the side of Russian forces in Luhansk and Donetsk.

In 2025, he attempted to return to Uzbekistan via Belarus, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan, finally arriving in August, where he was detained by law enforcement. During the trial, A. J. fully admitted his guilt and explained that he joined the combat operations due to the harsh conditions in the prison.

The court found him guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (“Mercenary Activity”) and sentenced him to four years of restricted liberty.